Obituary for Robert Van Wood
In the early morning hours of January 29, 1969, at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, a precious baby boy was born to William and Gayle Wood. They named him Robert Van Wood. Bob, as he was known to family and friends, was full of life nd had a great sense of adventure. He was a loyal, trusted friend from his earliest age. Bob had a quiet, contemplative demeanor but he also had a fearless side. He would often ride his BMS bike over the jumps that no one else would attempt, and take on challenges that others turned away from. Many times, he rode for miles to get to the BMX track for competitions. The family moved quite often, and the friendships that Bob made were solid and strong…a testament to the type of person that he was. His generosity, loyalty, and sincerity were traits that were present all the days of his life. Bob lived in many different places in his earlier years, both in the United States and abroad. During his elementary school years, he settled in Colorado with his family, and except for a brief time in Alaska, and Midland, Texas, he remained in Colorado for the rest of his life. Bob graduated from Eastlake Campus in 1988. In 1990, through mutual friends, Bob met the beautiful lady who would later become his wife. After two hours of telling jokes back and forth, Bob unwillingly conceded the competition to Andrea, and then proceeded to sweep her off her feet. They started dating on August 8, 1990, and were married on August 6, 1994. They have one son, Forrest, whom Bob referred to as Pooh Bear. The family was blessed with many trips to Lake McConaughy, fishing trips, camping trips, and weekends at the car races. Bob raced at the I-70 Speedway and Colorado National Speedway in car number 13W in his younger years. Bob, Andrea, and Forrest lived in the Denver area from 1992 through 2004, at which time they made a move to the Grand Junction area. They enjoyed the great outdoors, and created many beautiful memories with family and friends. In 2010, they made the difficult decision to return to Denver, even though their hearts remained in Grand Junction. Bob was gifted with an extraordinary talent as a cook. His culinary creations were favorite at many barbeques and family gatherings. Hot wings were the most requested item, and the special sauce was a closely guarded recipe. Bob had the opportunity to cook annually for the Men’s Retreat at the Twin Peaks Bible Camp with River of Life Church, and for the Compound Cookout, feeding 300+ people at a time. If you put him behind the grill, he was in his element. Bob worked as a diesel mechanic most of his career, and was employed by Colorado Mack/Bruckner Truck Sales since 2010. He was always the “go-to-guy”, and garnered the respect of supervisors and colleagues alike, no matter where he went. Bob and Andrea bought their first home in October of 2013, and had just begun renovations when God called him home on the evening of January 10, 2014. Bob is survived by his loving wife, Andrea, and his devoted son, Forrest; his mother, Gayle Jones; his father, Bill “Van” Wood and wife Colleen; stepfather, Alan Jones and wife, Patty; his brother, Jim and wife, Amber; his brother, Mike and wife, Connie; his sister, Jennifer and husband, Michael; his sister, Erica and husband, Steve; his brother, William (Alex) and wife, Jennifer; his sisters, Sarah, Kim, and Missy; 14 nieces and nephews; his grandmother; several aunts, uncles, and cousins; and many friends and colleagues. Bob was also blessed with a wonderful, loving relationship with his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Bev and Jake Skorniak, along with his sisters-in-law, Marya and Renee. Bob was preceded in death by two grandmothers, two grandfathers, one aunt, one uncle, and an infant nephew. Bob was a devoted husband, father, brother, son, uncle, and friend, and most importantly, an child of God. He will be forever loved, and greatly missed. Bob, we will see you again soon…
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