Robert Henry "Bob" Sonheim
Marriages
Barbara Louise Wagner - December 12, 1954
Obituaries
Steamboat Pilot & Today - December 26, 2023
March 1, 1932 – November 23, 2023
Robert “Bob” Henry Sonheim passed away on November 23, 2023, in Clarkdale, AZ, at the age of 91.
Born March 1, 1932, in Chicago, IL, Robert was the second of three sons to Henry and Minnie (Hollinger) Sonheim. When Minnie died 1940, the father and three sons—Richard, Robert, and Raymond—moved to New Jersey, where later Henry married Frances (Weed), and together they had Ruth and Ronald. The five Sonheim siblings remained close their entire lives, with family reunions from Albuquerque to Alaska.
Robert graduated from Bogota High School, NJ, in 1950. He served almost three years in the USAF, stationed for a time in Korea. On December 12, 1954, he married the love of his life, Barbara Louise Wagner in Maywood, NJ, and they launched a lifelong adventure out West, moving to Colorado, where they raised their four children, Jeffrey, Douglas, Nancy, and Stephen. Robert graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in December, 1959, and passed the Colorado Bar in March, 1960. Shortly afterwards he started his law practice in Arvada, CO, where he also served as City Attorney for ten years. His wide-ranging legal career included several intriguing murder cases, a landmark annexation case argued before the Colorado Supreme Court, and a case that led to the preservation of 200+ acres of green space and wildlife refuge in Wheatridge and Lakewood, the Crown Hill Open Space Park. During his career, he served as President of the First Judicial District and as First Vice President of the Colorado Bar Association. In 1967 the Colorado Bar Association named him the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year.
Robert was active in community projects and served on numerous boards, including the North Jeffco Foundation, the Boy Scouts of America, Denver Lutheran High School, Arvada Chamber of Commerce, Peace Lutheran Church, the Jefferson County United Way, and the American Red Cross.
Robert had many hobbies. He raced homing pigeons, raised beef cattle, and rode horses. He gardened, with a fondness for rhubarb, gooseberries, and swiss chard. He liked to cut hay, build barns, and dig French drains. He liked to drive big tractors, and he owned several. He could fix things. He kept ducks, chickens, bees, and, for a while, a rabbit. Every fall, he hunted elk. On every high-country backpacking trip, he packed his fishing gear. He loved dogs; during the Arvada years, he was never without a faithful Collie following him around the yard. He planted hundreds of trees. He enjoyed water and snow skiing. He ran dozens of marathons, from New York to Honolulu, often neck-and-neck with his brother, Ray.
During his retirement, Robert hardly retired. He and Barbara bought a 1,000-acre ranch above Yampa, CO, which he named the Son-Hi Ranch. He ran cattle, cut hay, planted trees, built a lake, and hunted elk; Barbara hosted friends and family. During these years, Robert served as Municipal Judge in Oak Creek, CO. He and Barbara made dear friends at church and in the community, and they particularly enjoyed the Independence Day parade and picnic in Yampa. Robert and Barbara spent their last years in Clarkdale, AZ, enjoying friends and visits from family.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers Richard, Raymond, and Ronald; sister-in-law Joan (Kohler) Sonheim; and his loving wife of sixty-seven years, Barbara. He is survived by children Jeffrey Sonheim of Durango, CO; Douglas Sonheim (Amy) of Grand Rapids, MI; Nancy Gowen (Mitch) of Aiea, HI; and Stephen Sonheim (Carla) of Seattle, WA. Grandchildren include Christer Sonheim (Christi) of Seattle, WA; Joseph Sonheim (Elizabeth) of Grand Rapids, MI; Molly Poppe (Nathanael) of Concordia, MO; Will Sonheim (Abby) of Chicago, IL; Micah Gowen of Washington D.C; Wesley Sonheim of Seattle, WA; and Katie Harrell (Brenden) of Springfield, IL. Great-grandchildren include Liam, Ethan, Ellie, Zadok, Titus, Esther, Oliver, Eden, Basil, Arie, and Jael. He is also survived by his sister Ruth and brother-in law Harry Vollmer of Bosque Farms, NM; by sisters-in-law Eileen Sonheim of Calabasas, CA, and Vicki Sonheim of Yukon, OK; and by nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Memorials for Robert and Barbara Sonheim may be made to a charity of choice.
A celebration of the lives of Robert Henry and Barbara Louise Sonheim will be held in on February 17, 2024 at 10.30am at Peace Lutheran Church in Arvada, CO.
