Robert Lee Rueb

Robert Lee Rueb, MD, 83, died peacefully at home on July 11, 2015, surrounded by his wife and children, following a brief illness with pancreatic cancer. He enjoyed many visits from his five children and dear friends during the last weeks of his life. Dr. Rueb was born at home on June 18, 1932, to Frederick Rueb and Dora Peterson Rueb in St. Francis, Kansas. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1957. He served an internship one summer at St. Luke's Hospital in Denver where he met his future wife, Judith Irene Sylling, then a nurse. They were married in 1958 following his graduation from medical school and his first residency at University Hospital in Denver. They moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where he pursued further residency training in surgical medicine. From there they moved to San Francisco, California where he served as chief resident in vascular surgery at the UCSF medical center. In 1962, the Ruebs moved from San Francisco to Orléans, France, where Dr. Rueb served for two years as part of the Doctor's Draft of the Selective Service Act of 1948. From France, they returned to the United States. In 1964 Dr. Rueb established a practice in Longmont, CO. During his early years of practice he worked actively for merging the Longmont Community Hospital with the Osteopath Hospital, then located on Main Street at 9th Avenue. His advocacy was influential in leading to the establishment of Longmont United Hospital. His voice for the fair treatment of professional colleagues and strong advocacy for patients within institutional medicine over the years earned him a reputation as a physician who stood for the integrity of his profession in the rapidly changing world of medicine. Dr. Rueb was active in the Boulder Medical Society and in the Colorado Medical Society throughout his career. The Ruebs were also active in the community initially throughout the Lions Club, and as early supporters of the Longmont Symphony Orchestra. In recent years Dr. Rueb was a member of the Sertoma Club, rarely missing a meeting. After retiring in 1991, he and Judy enjoyed a long retirement, living between the banks of the White River in northern Arkansas and the Madison River in Montana. Dr. Rueb was an avid fly fisherman and during his retirement built his own rods and perfected the art of tying his own flies. The Ruebs were adventurous travelers and traveled extensively throughout the U.S. as well as the world. In 2011 the Ruebs returned to Longmont. Dr. Rueb is survived by his loving wife, Judy, and their five children; Jennifer Harper, Tenafly, NJ; Joan Rueb Wargo (William), Brooklyn, NY; Janet Herbst (Duane), Corpus Christi, TX; Steven Rueb (Tisha), New Orleans, LA; and Teri Rueb (Andrew Ainslie), Buffalo, NY. He is also survived by ten grandchildren; Max and Lucy Harper; Olivia, Andrew, and Sydney Wargo; Monica, Stevens, Blake, and Brett Herbst; and Nicole Rueb. He is pre-deceased by both parents, his sister Lucy Rueb Piehler (2001) and his brother Terry Joseph Rueb (2012). A funeral service is planned for August 1, 2015, at 11:00 AM, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Longmont. His cremated remains will be inurned in the St. Francis Cemetery, St. Francis, KS. Memorial contributions may be made to Tulane School of Medicine #8570, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112. Online donations can be made at www.tulane.edu/som/giving (click Donate Now and choose My Gift is a Tribute in the drop down menu). Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences.