Robert Quigley

Robert "Bob" Lamar Quigley (Quigg)

Resident of Central Point, Oregon

2/26/50 - 6/12/12

Internationally renowned fly tying wizard, Robert L. Quigley, passed away 12:24 p.m., June 12, 2012, at home in Central Point, where he had recently moved from Ashland.

With the encouragement of his parents, Robert became enamored with fly fishing at an early age, and family vacations often provided a fecund environment for his early nature studies. The thousands of solitary hours spent on the river observing fish, insects and riparian conditions engendered his iconoclastic creations, in which he combined the analytical eye of a scientist with the sensibility of an artist.

He was born in San Francisco, raised in San Jose where he graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1968 before attending Humboldt State University, the launching pad for his tenure at Fall River Mills, where as a young man he invented the Quigley Cripple (circa 1978) that revolutionized the fly fishing world and was among the first of a prolific and astounding array of mad hatter creations to emerge from his vice. His sojourns took him to many countries where he was eagerly embraced by the fly fishing communities who were the beneficiaries of his generous dispensation of his vast knowledge and expertise.

Robert was blessed with a loving family who supported him through his battle with prostate cancer the last several years. The family is deeply moved to find the many tributes to Robbie posted on the Internet from members of his extensive network of fellow fly fishers. We fully expect that he is now explaining the finer points of fly fishing to his celestial hosts.

Robert is survived by his longtime companion, Shirley Wentworth, of Central Point; his parents, Margaret and Robert E. Quigley of San Jose, California; oldest sister and brother-in-law, Margie and Duane Mrosla of Arvada, Colorado, and their children, Mandy Mrosla of Scottsdale, Arizona and Brad Mrosla of Denver, Colorado; youngest sister and brother-in-law, Jill Quigley and Chris Douglas of Tracy, California, and their children, Sean Douglas of Grants Pass, Oregon and Will Douglas of Tracy.

A memorial service is planned in the fall at Fall River Mills. Memorial contributions may be made to Asante Hospice Services or to Water Watch of Oregon.