Obituary of Robert Stannard Rich, Jr.

The sun rose on the life of Robert Stannard Rich, Jr. affectionately called “Bob” on May 15, 1943, in Marshall, Minnesota when he was born to Robert S. Rich, Sr. and Corinne Larsen. The first out of five children born, Bob had one brother Bruce, and three sisters Jane, Mary Beth, and Anne. As a child, he was always getting into trouble and was very adventurous. Bob graduated from Nathan Hale High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After high school, he attended the University of Oklahoma, Hastings College, and the University of South Dakota en route to receiving his bachelor’s in science. Bob met Ann, his former wife and the mother of his children, in Glendale, Colorado. On July 19, 1975, they were united in marriage at the Catholic Church in Crested Butte, Colorado. Together they raised 2 children, Stephanie and Stephen. Bob and his wife traveled all over the world to places such as Hong Kong and Europe. They carried on the tradition of travelling with their children by taking frequent trips to both Disney World and Disneyland. They also traveled to the Grand Canyon and the 4 Corners, which was driven by Bob’s love for history and his eagerness to share it with his family. He was a proud and loving father who in return was cherished by his children. He was later blessed with 3 grandchildren Jayme, Pyper, and Pantera who all called him “Papa”. Bob enjoyed live sporting events, in particular the baseball, football, and basketball games of his grandson Jayme and would always make sure to bring Gatorade. He was his #1 fan. Bob made an effort to see all of the grandchildren for each one of their birthdays and on special holidays. Spending time with his grandchildren was one of his greatest passions. Bob had a multifaceted career. Primarily he was an entrepreneur. His hunger and quest for business ownership most likely began while he worked for the family business, Rich Brothers Fireworks. One of his most successful ventures was Bozo’s Fireworks in which he owned and operated several tents in Colorado. Another one of Bob's businesses was Rich CO LLC where he served as president and CEO for 15 years. In his later years, Bob retired from his businesses and went on to help his brother Bruce run his firework business. In his free time, Bob enjoyed golf, watching football, and being around loved ones. His best friends Paul Naylor, Dick Cochrane, Frank Ed Janders, Coleman Robinson, and Vic Hadad will forever cherish him as being a family man, a golfing partner, a hunting partner, and the memorable trips to Lake Powell which he hosted. His favorite color was red, he loved roses, and the sounds of good old rock-n-roll music. Bob made a difference in everyone’s life through his selfless acts of giving and teaching. He is smiling down at us right now and reminding us to “always do our best.” This loving, thoughtful, kind, and caring man will be deeply missed. To know Bob was to love him. The sun set on the life of Mr. Robert Stannard Rich, Jr. aka “Bob” on February 1, 2024, in Denver, Colorado when he passed from this life into his eternal rest. He is preceded in death by his parents, and son, Stephen Rich. Those left to cherish his memory include his daughter, Stephanie (Victor Newton) Rich of CO; his daughter-in-law, Tonya Rich of CO, his brother, Bruce (Dian) Rich of TX; sisters, Jane (Tom) Sargent of CO, Mary Beth Williams of AR, and Anne (Rick) Berryman of OK; grandchildren, Jayme Rich, Pyper Rich, and Pantera Rich all of CO; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends. May he rest in peace… “You can get better, or you can get worse.” ~Bob Rich~