Robert E. "Bob" Vestal

Robert E. "Bob" Vestal February 29, 1932 – August 23, 2010 Robert E. "Bob" Vestal, 78, of Palisade, CO, died on August 23, 2010, at the Hospice Care Center in Grand Junction, CO, a few weeks after being diagnosed with metastatic cancer. The son of George Chloe (Jack) and Nettie Edith Vestal, Bob was born on Leap Year (February 29), 1932, in Guymon, OK, and liked to joke he had fewer birthdays than his children. Bob attended high school at Ponca City Military Academy (OK) and graduated from college in 1954 at New Mexico Military Institute (Roswell). After serving in both the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, Bob retired his captain commission and returned to his hometown, Guymon, to work in the oil and gas industry. It was there that he met and married Suzanne Burdge of Hooker, OK. Together they built the Vestal Motel and Guymon Dining Room, which they operated for 19 years. They reared two children in Guymon, Debra Nel (Debbie) Peterson, married to Dave Peterson and residing in Palisade, CO, and Robert Jack (Rob) Vestal, residing in Dallas, TX. Bob was passionate about his pursuits and his pastimes. Over the years Bob ventured into the cattle business and tried his hand at brokering commodities on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and selling real estate in Angel Fire, NM. He also acquired his private and commercial pilot's licenses and spent considerable time on the golf course working on a scratch handicap, as well as trolling for trout in the lakes of Colorado. After Bob and Sue settled in Palisade in 2004, Bob was employed as an on-call security officer at the Department of Energy facility in Grand Junction. Bob thoroughly enjoyed his employment, friends, and colleagues at DOE and was dedicated and determined to work until the end. In addition to his wife of 53 years, daughter, son, and son-in-law, Bob is survived by his brother, G. Charles Vestal of Guymon, OK; nephew, Donald Charles Hofferber of Dallas, TX, (great-niece Sara and great-nephew David), and nephew Stacey Hofferber of Nevada (great-nephew Derek). One sister, Mary Juanelle (Hofferber) Gass, predeceased Bob in 2002. A memorial service honoring Bob's life will be held at the Palisade United Methodist Church (365 Main Street, Palisade, CO) on Saturday, September 11, at 1:30 p.m. Interment of cremains will take place at a future date in the Guymon Memorial Cemetery. The family suggests memorial gifts be sent to the Palisade United Methodist Church (Post Office Box L, Palisade, CO 81526), Roice Hurst Humane Society (3320 D 1/2 Road, Clifton, CO 81520), Loaves and Fishes Food Cupboard (310 Southeast 1st Street, Guymon, OK 73942), or Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado (3090B North 12th Street, Grand Junction, CO 81506).