Bob Kropfli, 84, of Boulder, CO, died in the early morning of February 23.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio by Swiss and Slovenian immigrants in a close-knit working class eastern European community, Bob earned a BS from what was then Case Institute of Technology. Degree in hand, Bob headed to the Johns Hopkin University Applied Physics Lab where he worked on submarine navigation systems and made life-long friends.
While at APL, he earned a master's degree in physics from Cornell University. He also developed a deep appreciation for jazz and began amassing a collection of recordings, frequenting jazz clubs in Washington, D.C., and honing his talent as a jazz trumpet player.
Bob's APL friends remember him as an outdoor enthusiast and all-purpose adventurer, attributes that were not a part of his traditional Cleveland upbringing.
After a ski trip to Colorado, Bob set his sights on moving to Boulder. He quickly received a job offer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and embarked on a career and life in the playground of his dreams. Bob had a productive career at NOAA, conducting research on new radar technology that aided in meteorology and aviation safety among many notable contributions. Bob mentored many young scientists and established the principle that research expeditions were completely compatible with fun and adventure.
Although Bob left an impressive legacy as a scientist and mentor, he excelled at retirement.
He and his first wife, Diane Vliem, built a beautiful home in the foothills of Jefferson County which Bob delighted in sharing with friends and relatives. Nestled into the Dakota Hogback formation, the house and the land reflected Bob's strong aesthetic and his determination to live life to the fullest.
In 2011, Bob met Claire Levy, with whom he spent the rest of his life. Together, they bicycled throughout Colorado and the world and hiked all over the foothills of Boulder and Jefferson Counties. Bob loved to explore on a bike, on foot, through music and through corresponding with the world-wide network of friends that he readily made during his travels.
He had a warm welcoming smile, a disarming wry sense of humor, and was always eager to engage people in conversation about travel, music and politics. Bob and Claire enjoyed hosting visiting musicians for the Colorado Music Festival. Through Bob's volunteer activities with the Conference on World Affairs, Bob and Claire became annual hosts and dear friends of the legendary sax player Ernie Watts and his wife Patricia.
Bob was a prolific writer of letters to the editor. He had a knack for writing pithy, acerbic commentaries on current events and had a devoted readership. Bob relished good-natured political banter, especially with people who had views different than his own. He kept a list of quotes about the pernicious effect of money and religion in politics, which he regularly deployed.
Bob endured his share of health challenges and rebounded from many of them. He confronted each one with thorough research so that he could participate in determining the course of his medical treatment. Cardiac amyloidosis was the only challenge he could not overcome. It steadily eroded his physical stamina and his ability to engage in everything he enjoyed in life, including political activism. Bob fought it as hard as he could, but even his strong determination could not match the power of the disease.
He died peacefully with Claire and his devoted neighbor, Kathleen, by his side.
There will be a commemoration of Bob's life on March 30 at 2:00 at the Chautauqua Community House. If you would like to make a donation, in lieu of flowers, please donate in Bob's name to Colorado Public Interest Research Group (COPIRG) or Common Cause Colorado.