Robert “Bob” N. Link, 76, died Jan. 14, 2008. He was born April
2, 1931, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was educated at Runnymeade
High School, Toronto, Canada, and subsequently graduated with a
degree in geology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He
worked as an oil rigger in Alberta, Canada, while in college and
later as a petroleum geologist in exploration for the Carter Oil
Company in Wyoming.
Before becoming an aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps, he
graduated from Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fla. He was
honorably discharged from the Marine Corps as a major.
While serving as a reservist in the Marine Corps, he entered the
real estate field in Boulder, first as a real estate broker, then
mortgage broker, partner in Lashley Persons Real Estate Company,
mortgage lender, and finally a senior real estate instructor and
co-owner of Jones Real Estate College.
His greatest passion was teaching Marine recruits to disassemble
and reassemble the M-16 rifle and teaching students in the real
estate industry. Many students would still ask him for help in his
later years. Finally, he was also the Southern Region instructor
for the Continuing Education Division of the University of
Colorado.
He served as a director of the Air Academy Federal Credit Union
Board of Directors, member of Pikes Peak Sertoma and Gleneagle
Sertoma, and member of the Eisenhower Men’s Golf
Association.
In his retirement years, he especially enjoyed being a
monitor/marshal at Gleneagle, Woodmoor, King’s Deer, and Eisenhower
golf courses. After having fought a stunning battle with multiple
sclerosis and cancers, “while with a silent lifting mind” he said,
“I’ve trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, and now I will
put out my hand and touch the face of God.”
He was predeceased in death by his father, Dr. Theodore A. Link,
a renowned Western Canada petroleum geologist; his mother,
Katherine Ford Link; and brothers Thomas Link, a pilot killed in
World War II who had the most influence on his life, and Theodore
Link also a petroleum geologist.
He is survived by his wife, the former Louise Lowry Smith;
sister Elisabeth Jane Lehman; many nieces and nephew; sons Robert
N. Link Jr., Ted Link, and Zachary Link, who also works in the real
estate industry; and three grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, contibutions can be made to KCME, 1921 N.
Weber, Colorado Springs, CO 80907; Multiple Sclerosis Society, 12
N. Meade, Colorado Springs, CO 80909; or Pikes Peak Hospice, 25 E.
Pikes Peak, No. 600, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Credit to John
Gillespie Magee Jr., “High Flight” SEMPER FI.
Services were Jan. 19, 2008, at Grace and St. Stephen’s Church,
601 N. Tejon, Colorado Springs.