Robert Engler Obituary

Durango resident Robert Francis Engler died Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010, at Mercy Regional Medical Center after a long battle with coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. He was 82.

Known as "Bob," he was born to George Joseph and Madge (Devilbiss) Engler on April 17, 1928, in San Francisco. He grew up in there.

Mr. Engler served in the Navy.

In 1972, he married Jeri Hilzer in Reno, Nev.

Mr. Engler was an experienced carpenter and builder and moved to Durango in 1980, where he worked as a La Plata County building inspector.

Mr. Engler enjoyed spending time outdoors and was a sportsman and hunter. He was an avid reader.

"Bob was a great storyteller with gifts of wit and humor," his family wrote. "Larger than life, Bob filled a room with his physical stature and his gregarious personality."

Bob loved his many friends and family. He will be remembered for his intelligence, kindness and generosity of spirit, his family said.

"Bob was a man of strong faith, and the best thing that came into my life," his wife, Jeri, said. "I loved him very deeply and respected him tremendously."

Mr. Engler was preceded in death by his son, Robert Joseph Engler.

He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Jeri Engler, of Durango; daughter, Barbara Matthews, of Greensboro, Ga.; brother George Engler of San Francisco; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010, at St. Columba Catholic Church. Burial will take place afterward at Greenmount Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the La Plata County Humane Society, 1111 South Camino del Rio, Durango, CO 81303; the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231; or the American Lung Association of Colorado, 5600 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111-2319.