Robert Deane Laulainen

1943 - 2016

Robert Deane Laulainen

Robert Deane Laulainen passed away unexpectedly on July 16, 2016 while visiting family in Grand Junction, CO. The youngest child and only son of Arde O. Laulainen and Marion C. (Patten) Laulainen, Bob was born in Ft. Collins, CO on September 24, 1943.

The family moved a lot when Bob was a child and he often spoke fondly of the short time they lived (and fished) in St. Petersburg, FL, but by the time he was in high school the family had settled in Framingham, MA. After attending college in New Mexico and Texas, Bob returned to Framingham where he met Jean Royse. They married on May 7, 1966 in Jean's hometown of Bolton, England and then moved to Connecticut and had two daughters, Diana Lyn and Sharon Lee.

The family moved to Sioux Falls, SD in 1975 where Bob was an enthusiastic hunter, going out weekly during hunting season with his trusty springer spaniel and filling the freezer with duck and pheasant. Both daughters were married in Sioux Falls, and Bob was delighted to become a grandfather to four grandsons and four granddaughters -- Robert, Rebecca, Rachel, and Ryan Libby and Ariana, Serena, Jordan, and Jared Schein. He was a proud grandpa who often popped photos of this large crew of grandchildren out of his wallet to share with anyone who might (or might not) be interested.

Bob loved living in South Dakota but valued being close to family more, so Jean and Bob moved to Mesa, AZ in 2006 to be close to their daughters and grandchildren. Throughout his life, Bob took care of his family not only financially but also by lending a helping hand whenever it was needed. Bob was a football fan in general but always rooted for the Broncos, listened to country music, and loved a good bargain. He was thrilled to be able to teach his grandchildren how to shoot and play chess. Bob gave the best hugs.

In addition to spending time with family, in recent years, Bob and Jean enjoyed traveling and outings with the Dobson Ranch retirees group, although Bob never truly retired and continued to work in sales. Bob liked the many opportunities to meet new people in his line of work.

Bob is survived by his wife, daughters, grandchildren, two sisters (Jacquelyn Ann Moran of Grand Junction, CO and Sandra Lee Reisbeck of Stillwater, OK), and a large extended family.