Ron Robertson
Carbondale resident and architect Ron Robertson – also regarded for his love of music and sense of humor – died Jan. 10, 2010, in Denver. He was 63.
Robertson was born Aug. 19,1946, in Hutchinson, Kansas, to Chet and Betty Robertson, and grew up in the San Francisco Bay area of California.
He graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in architecture. After moving to the Roaring Fork Valley more than 30 years ago, he worked for Glenwood Springs architect Dean Moffat before starting his own firm in 1990, R.C. Robertson Architects, located in downtown Carbondale.
As a longtime architect in the valley, he designed numerous custom homes and buildings, including the gazebo at Sopris Park, Crystal Glass Studio/ Parkside Gallery, the Cowen Center, the Days Inn, the remodel of the Sardy House in Aspen, Michael Douglas’ house and barn at Wildcat subdivision, the chalet at the Redstone Inn, and the three-story commercial/residential building at 311 Main St. in Carbondale, as well as contributing to the design of the new addition at the Church at Carbondale and designing the “Welcome to Carbondale” sign at Highway 133 and Main Street.
“He loved it when somebody took an interest in his art”, said longtime friend Joe Scofield, who hired Robertson to build a single-family home in 1998 and the 311 Main St. Building. Scofield’s residence is “extra special” because of it, he says. “He could design a house for anyone … but Ron wanted that personal relationship. You became a close friend after Ron designed your home.”
Robertson was in the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion during the Vietnam War.
He loved to travel and, coupled with his love for cars, was a fan of road tripping. He played guitar and performed occasionally at Steve’s Guitars in Carbondale and for friends.
He co-founded the Downtown Preservation Association, and was on the board of Rotary Club of Carbondale, Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities, and KDNK, and he held a coveted pie judging seat at the Carbondale Mountain Fair. He will forever be remembered for his entertaining performance as Sonny (of Sonny and Cher) at the last KDNK Talent Show.
While he loved being in the spotlight – whether it was to make others laugh or to play music – those who knew him well understood that sometimes it was to shake off his own nervousness and help put everyone at ease.
“Ron was easy to know. He had that warm part of him if you knew him, you wanted to know him more,” Scofield said.
Robertson is survived by his mother and father, Betty and Chet Robertson of Oregon; daughter Shana of California; brothers Mike and Jon Robertson; sister Sue Robertson; and granddaughters Paige and Ashton.
A memorial service and potluck will be from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Church at Carbondale (please bring a dish to share). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CCAH Capital Campaign for the Center for the Arts; P.O. Box 175; Carbondale, CO 81623. Incidentally, Ron also designed the CCAH center space.
