Robert Eugene Darling

Robert (Bob) Eugene Darling

Obituary

Robert (Bob) Eugene Darling of Gold River, Calif., died on Sept. 3, 2013, at the age of 84 from complications of kidney disease.

Bob was born on Dec. 22, 1928, to parents LeRoy and Regina Darling. He and his brother, Bradford, were born and raised in Newton. Bob attended Kansas State University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering and was chapter president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He later went on to become a Sloan Fellow and earn a master of science degree in management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 1954, while Bob was serving with the U.S. Air Force in Chaumont, France, the love of his life, Beverly Faith Janzen, of McPherson, traveled to Europe so that they could marry. Bob went on to have a successful civilian career with the Department of Defense, working for the Air Force for 33 years, where he was a charter member of the Senior Executive Service. He also continued to serve in the U.S. Air Force Reserve until retiring as a colonel in 1988.

Throughout his career and their lives together, he and Bev called many places home, but they always loved Sacramento and eventually retired there. Bob had a lifelong commitment to community service, including as president of local chapters of the United Way and Rotary International. He loved nothing more than to spend time with his family. His other passions included Kansas State football, great food, travel and fishing.

Preceding him in death were his wife, Beverly, and his brother, Bradford.

Bob is survived by sons, Steven Bradford (Patricia DeLoatche) of Gold River, Calif., Corbin Patrick (Lisa), of Golden, Colo., Trenton Michael (Kristin) of Colorado Springs, Colo., and David Tyler (Michi Toki) of San Francisco, Calif. Bob had five grandchildren, of whom he was very proud: Clare, Jackson, Tesslyn, Koji and Sheadyn.

The family would like to thank Bob's many caregivers and especially Dr. David Patella and Osaiyasi Uluifalefisi (Ului) for their caring and generosity of spirit.

A service will be held at Carmichael Presbyterian Church in Carmichael, Calif., on Sept. 7, 2013, at 2 p.m. Interment will be at the Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum in Colorado Springs, Colo. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org) or the American Heart Association (www.heart.org).

Published in The Kansan from September 5 to September 8, 2013