Robert "Bob" Burtis
Marriages
Jacqueline
divorced
Dorothy
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D Obituary - March 3, 2015
Robert "Bob" Burtis
May 3, 1938 - April 29, 2015
Bob was born in Newton, NJ, on May 3, 1938, to George and Rachael Burtis. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side after losing a year-long courageous battle with cancer. After leaving the farm at an early age, Bob served in the U.S. Navy as a frogman for five years. While in UDT training in the Virgin Islands, Bob met his first wife, Jacqueline, whom he married and they had three children. They then moved west to Colorado, where he studied and trained as a pipefitter/welder with Plumbers & Pipefitters #145. He traveled throughout Western Colorado and the US sharing his pipefitting and welding talents with other union brothers. After 26 years of marriage to Jacqueline, they divorced, and he moved back to Pennsylvania where he married his high school buddy’s little sister, Dorothy. They lived in PA for many years, then moved back to Western Colorado to spend his final years in the Colorado mountains. Bob loved being in the mountains and hunting, especially elk hunting. Bob is survived by his wife, Dorothy; sons, Mathew and Mark; daughter, Noela; step-daughter, Karen; grandchildren, Caneyl, Chelsea, Zachary, Noah, Lily, Kyle, Erik, and Nolan; brother,George; and sister, Vicki. He was preceded in death by his parents. Bob’s wishes are to be cremated and his ashes to be spread over the Uncompahgre Plateau (his happy place). He did not want a funeral service, “If they didn’t come and visit while I
was alive, why come and see me when I’m dead.” The family would like to thank all the wonderful people at HopeWest Hospice, 3090B North 12th Street, Grand Junction,CO 81506 and St. Mary’s Hospital, 2635 N. 7th St. Grand Junction, CO 81501.
