Robert Small Obituary

Bob Small dedicated his life and career to helping others, serving in executive roles at YMCA organizations in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, followed by nearly a decade as the Associate Executive Director of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation. He passed away on February 3, 2012, as a result of a heart attack suffered on January 29th while riding his bicycle in the Garden of the Gods. He was 61. Bob's caring nature, generosity, integrity, and unfailing determination to do the right thing were hallmarks of his personality. He truly lived the Pikes Peak Community Foundation's mission to help everyone achieve their charitable goals and aspirations, and he worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for people in our region. Bob appreciated the good things in life, and he understood that the best things in life are not things. He was deeply devoted to his family and he enjoyed spending time with friends and colleagues. An avid runner and cyclist, Bob enjoyed exploring the most beautiful places in the Pikes Peak region and he helped promote opportunities for everyone to exercise and explore outdoors. Bob was born in Keene, New Hampshire, on March 3, 1950. Shortly after graduating from the University of Vermont in 1974, he began his career with the YMCA, serving his early years in North Adams and then in Springfield, Massachusetts. He received his Master's degree in exercise physiology from Springfield College, also in Massachusetts, in 1982. He then moved westward with his wife, Beth Kirk-Small, to serve as the Executive Director of the downtown YMCA in Colorado Springs. After a decade of leadership for the YMCA here, during which membership at the Y nearly doubled, Bob and his family moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to provide the vision and management for a brand new YMCA. In 2003, Bob and his family returned to Colorado Springs, where in 2004, Bob took a position with Pikes Peak Community Foundation (PPCF). He served as PPCF's Associate Executive Director, working with the Foundation's donor-advised funds and fiscal sponsor projects; he also acted as the operations director for the business services of the Foundation. Two of Bob's signature projects include the annual Great Pumpkin Run and Little Pumpkin Fun Run at Venetucci Farm. And, in 2011, Bob launched the Agony and the Ecstasy Run at Aspen Valley Ranch in Woodland Park. His loyalty, his compassion, and his thoughtful intelligence have taught all of us a great deal about what is truly important. With his wife Beth, Bob established The Wine Store here in Colorado Springs in 2003. Passionate about finding, tasting, and most especially sharing fine wine, he also delighted in educating others about great, yet affordable, wines. Bob's friends offer a powerful sense of who Bob was: "He was a good, good man...a man of dignity and integrity...we are better people for having known him." "Bob was an important part of our community." "Bob was one of the good guys-- a calming, compassionate, and level-headed person." "Bob was a gentle spirit, always with a warm smile, an open heart, and a deep desire to benefit others." He is survived by his wife, Beth; his daughter, Whitney, and his dog, Lily; his brother, Jim, and his sister, Pat. Please keep his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to The Bob Small Fund, in care of Pikes Peak Community Foundation, 730 N. Nevada Ave. Colorado Springs, CO, 80903 (online at www.ppcf.org/The-Bob-Small-Fund ). A celebration of Bob's life will be held on February 26 from 2 - 5pm, with remarks at 3pm followed by raising a glass of wine to Bob, in the Trianon at the Colorado Springs School, 21 Broadmoor Ave., Colorado Springs.