Robert A. Backus, 86, of Centennial Colorado, died peacefully at home after a swift battle with cancer on June 26, 2022.
Bob was born June 1, 1936, in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He was the middle of three sons of the late Carl and Florence Backus. The family settled in Goshen Indiana in 1946 where Bob graduated from Goshen High School in 1954. After attending a year at the University of Indiana he moved to Boulder Colorado to continue his academic career at the University of Colorado. While attending school he met and later married his late wife, Martha. While attending CU he was enrolled in the U.S. Army ROTC program and after graduation, he was commissioned as a 2LT in the Corps of Engineers. He was stationed at Fort Carson and eventually was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Army Reserves. Bob was to go on to attend CU Law School and graduate with his L.L.B. in 1964.
Bob worked as a lawyer for 37 years, starting in Leadville Colorado and in 1969 the family moved to Denver Colorado. His compassion and honesty shone through with his community involvement. He served on the board of directors and provided volunteer legal work for the Mile High United Way, the Denver Area Boy Scouts of America, and Savio House. He also served the Friends of Auraria Library as a Board Member, the CU Law School Alumni Board as its President, First Plymouth Congregational Church as a Council member, and the Rocky Mountain MS Center as a board member. He was a member of the national board of directors for the Well Spouse Association. Bob was also a 52-year Life Member of the Denver Lions Club and served the Lions as Director, Secretary, and Club President. In 1996, Bob joined the University of Denver’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and helped establish it as a nonprofit corporation, and served on its council as President. Over the years he facilitated over 14 classes on a variety of subjects including memoir writing, in which the students write short stories about experiences in their lives.
Bob was active in writing his own short stories and has produced a collection of them with the goal of having his life’s experiences published. Later in his life, he was active with the First Presbyterian Church of Littleton and enjoyed teaching spiritual memoir writing, and attending the men’s bible class there. He was an avid fly fisherman and enjoyed playing tennis, and bird watching, as well as taking his dogs on walks along the Highline Canal.
He is survived by his brother Richard (Josephine), sons Carl (Brenda) and Mark, his partner Sue Leister, and his granddaughter Laura. Bob is preceded in death by his father Carl, mother Florence (Spencer), brother John, and wife Martha (Showers).
Services will be on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 10:00am at First Plymouth Congregational Church, located at 3501 S. Colorado Blvd, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113 with a reception to follow at the church. Service will be live streamed for those that cannot attend on https://firstplymouthchurch.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e0e571643c6b39c8c6d61e8d4&id=eb8d63fa28&e=fcfd42184c/. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of Bob’s favorite charities listed above.