Obituary of Robert Eugene Krumm

Bob was born 5/31/38 in Greeley, CO and passed away on 9/8/10 in Lakewood, WA after a valiant fight against cancer. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years Doris; daughters Delores (Alicia), Kimberly (Lisa), Barbara (Keith) Mehlenbacher; son George (Lara); brother Jack (Betty) Krumm of Anaconda, MT; brother-in law Ernie Sundquist (Frances) of Littleton, CO; grandchildren Blake Krumm, Haley Krumm and Marty Krumm, with one more on the way and numerous nieces/nephews. He was preceded in death by parents George and Mary, Sisters Delores McAuliffe, and Bonnie McLean. At Bob’s request a private family service will be held at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR. Bob’s family moved from Greely, CO to Anaconda, MT in 1941. In Montana, Bob began his lifelong hobbies of hunting and fishing. Bob was a member of Anaconda High School, class of 1956. Bob joined the Army on November 25th, 1955 at 17. He served for 22 years in Armor, 1st Infantry, and Transportation units, during this time he served in Korea and Vietnam. His tour in Viet Nam included the period described as the Tet Offensive, one of the most costly for American troops. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with V Device, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and numerous other decorations. He retired and was Honorably Discharged on June 30, 1976. On June 6th, 1959, Bob married his high school sweetheart, Doris Sundquist. The ceremony was at the First Presbyterian Church in Anaconda, MT. They started a family together and eventually had four children: Delores in 1960, Kim in 1961, and the twins, Barbara and George in 1963. Bob’s career in the Army required several separations from his wife and family and the hardships and challenges that go with them. His marriage to Doris for 51 years is a tribute to their sense of commitment. In addition to the deployments to war, Bob was stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC; Regensburg, Germany; Ft Lewis, WA; Ft. Campbell, KY where he served as a Drill Sergeant; Ft. Lewis, WA again; Mannheim, Germany; Giessen, Germany; and lastly at Ft. Lewis, WA where he retired. After Bob retired from the army, he took his first civilian job as a security guard on the docks in Tacoma. Pay wasn’t much, and during this time he also attended college at night and on weekends using the GI Bill. He earned a Bachelors degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. While working as a security guard he was recognized by management of Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) as a hard worker and was offered a job as a dispatcher; he was later promoted to dispatch supervisor. After a couple years with TOTE he embarked on an entrepreneurial adventure with H&S Trucking. This business eventually folded. This brought economic hardship and uncertainty, but Bob the survivor hung in there. He sought employment with the Government as a civil servant. He landed his next and last job working in Transportation Management, specifically as Troop Movement Officer, where he served for 20 years. He retired in 2000. He was a tremendous example of what dedication and work ethic mean. Outside of work and family, Bob was an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He enjoyed hunting for deer, elk and ducks, fishing, reloading, gunsmithing and tying flies. He taught his children these things, sharing his passion for the world around him and instilling in them value and concern for the environment. In 1998 he adopted Heed, a chocolate Labrador retriever, from George. He enjoyed spoiling Heed rotten and taking him for his daily walks through the neighborhood. In his later years, Bob made several trips to Alaska to visit his son and to fish. Some of his fondest memories include catching a ten pound rainbow trout and a 62 pound king salmon, both from the Kenai River. He also enjoyed fishing for silver salmon out of Seward, AK, and caught a 126 pound halibut in Cook Inlet. Bob is remembered by family and friends as being a tough, courageous man. The war couldn’t kill him; economic hard times couldn’t either. He was a survivor and never gave up. After cancer struck, he fought to give his family 3 more years with him. For that, we are extremely grateful. He will always be remembered for his strength and courage. We miss him greatly, but are happy that he no longer has to fight or suffer. He will always be in our hearts. If you would like to make a donation, please consider the Franciscan Hospice House in University Place, WA.