Obituary: Robert Dean “Bob” Brubaker

Robert Dean “Bob” Brubaker, 88, died at HopeWest hospice in Grand Junction, Colo., on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014.
Born Nov. 30, 1925, in Sawyer, Kan., to Silas and Bertha Carlisle Brubaker, he attended Sawyer High School, Pratt Junior College and was a veteran of the Army Air Corp. during World War II. He married Maryellen Closson on July 20, 1947.
In 1950, Bob and Maryellen moved to Meeker, Colo.; to Cortez in January 1970; and they moved to their farm north of Lewis in 1977. They relocated to Grand Junction in September 2013. Bob was a partner in Brubaker Equipment, Inc.
Bob was a member of the Cortez First United Methodist Church, where he served as lay leader for many years and chief biscuit baker for 40 years. He was instrumental in leading the annual community ecumenical lay Holy Week services. Bob will be long remembered for his beautiful voice and his wonderful rendition of the Lord’s Prayer; he sang at hundreds of weddings, funerals and church services.
Always active in serving his community, Bob was a Meeker town councilman and mayor from 1968l to 1970. He served as a county commissioner for Montezuma County from 1991 to 1994. Bob was a Montezuma County Housing Authority board member for many years and served as chairman for 14 years. He was honored with the dedication of Brubaker Place in 2011.
Bob was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America for more than 20 years, serving as an assistant scoutmaster, scoutmaster and as a district committeeman. In 1967, Bob was awarded the Silver Beaver by the Western Colorado Council. Bob served as board member for the Lewis-Arriola Volunteer Fire Department from 1980 to 2008. And Bob was also a long-time member and president of the Community Concert Associations in Meeker and Cortez.
Survivors include: his five children: son Steve and Myra Brubaker of Des Moines, Iowa, son Mike and Sue Brubaker of Hayward, Wis., son Chris and Sandy Brubaker of Grand Junction, Colo., son Corey and Tina Brubaker of Lincoln, Neb., and daughter Tricia and Brian MacInnes of Albany, Ore. Bob also enjoyed his nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by: his wife, Maryellen; his brother, James Brubaker; and and his sister, Nell Kinser, both of Warner Robins, Ga.
A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, at the First United Methodist Church in Cortez.In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to a memorial fund honoring Bob. The Bob Brubaker Donation Account has been established at Vectra Bank, 350 W. Montezuma Ave., Cortez, Colo., 81321 or Vectra Bank, 499 28 1/4 Rd., Grand Junction, Colo., 81501. It will be divided equally between the Cortez First United Methodist Church and the Lewis-Arriola Fire Department, or you may donate in Bob’s memory to your favorite charity.