Robert Eugene Enis

The family and friends of Robert (Bob) Eugene Enis are gathering to celebrate his life and our love of him. Bob was born in Jefferson City, Missouri on August 16, 1938 to Vincent Paul Enis and Pauline Glover Enis, and he left us surrounded by family and friends to be with the Lord on December 10, 2010 after an eighteen year battle with melanoma. Bob was a very caring, loving and private person. He was most proud of his twenty-three years of service to his Country in the United States Marine Corps.

To the very few that he shared his experience with he liked to say that he "started on the ground running the hills with a machine gun as an enlisted man and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel Marine Aviator." Bob flew over 400 combat missions in Vietnam while flying the A4C off of the USS Yorktown, now docked in Charleston harbor and the F4C while based in Danang Airbase Vietnam. During his third tour in Vietnam he had transitioned into flying C-130 aircraft and was known to volunteer to fly into small remote air strips to retrieve our wounded and deliver supplies when others had declined the mission due to weather and hostile fire conditions. Bob was privileged to have been the designated co-pilot for General Robert E. Cushman, Commandant of the Marine Corps for two years followed by four years as the Commander of the Marine VIP Flight Section in Washington, DC and the Plane Commander and personal pilot for General Robert H. Barrow, Commandant of the Marine Corps. General Barrow and Lt. Colonel Enis retired on the first day of July, 1983 when General Barrow awarded Bob the Legion of Merit medal.

After retirement from the Marine Corps, he spent time as a broker with Merrill Lynch, earned a Master's degree in Forestry at the University of Minnesota and went into final retirement after being a property appraiser. Bob and his wife Linda, who have been married 42 years, loved the outdoors and were found on their time off either sailing, canoeing and portaging the Minnesota and Canadian wilderness, hiking, traveling in Europe, and the last few years traveling with their RV and kayaking. After living in nine different states and one foreign country Bob and Linda moved home to Deming in 2000 when they couldn't part with Linda's family home and wanted to return to the friends and culture they love.

Bob is survived by his wife Linda Enis and his loving pet Carli, his daughter Cherie Scofield and son-in-law Alan Scofield of St. Cloud, MN, son Robert Thomas Enis of Minneapolis, MN, grandson Dane Scofield of Moorehead, MN, brother Joseph P. Enis (Karen) of Bradenton, FL, sister Ellen Flynn of Campbell Port, WI, brother-in-law Charles Wehmhoner (Frankye) of El Paso, TX, sister-in-law Virginia Luedke of El Paso, TX, nieces Kelly Flynn of Madison, WI and Katie Enis of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Denise Wehmhoner-Perez (Sam) of Phonenix, AZ, Cheryl Sullivan (Dan) of Aspen, CO, Victoria Hill (David) of Salida, CO and nephews Brent Wehmhoner of El Paso, TX and Scott Luedke (Sherry) of Thousand Oaks, CA.

The family would like to thank Bob's many care givers through his battle with cancer: Dr. George Williams, Jay and Trinity at Blue Sky's Primary Care. Dr. Basil Aswad and his staff, Dr. Chris Kosir and his staff at Memorial Medical Center, the nursing staff at Mimbres Memorial Hospital and Home Health, Dan Roller our family "angel" with Ambercare Hospice and Pastor Ernie Vineyard for his love and spiritual guidance. Most importantly was the loving care givers for both Bob and Linda, Charles and Frankye Wehmhoner, Don & Peggy Campbell, Claudia and Gary Jeffreys and Mary and Robert Frosch.

At Bob's request cremation has taken place by Baca's Funeral Chapels and there will be a private graveside service with military honors accorded. Should you want to make a memorial donation, Bob was a tireless behind the scenes volunteer for Cancer Support of Deming and Luna County P.O. Box 1746, Deming, New Mexico 88031 and Alma Feil Hospice in support of Ambercare Hospice, 713 West Spruce PMB147, Deming, New Mexico 88030. Entrusted to the care of Baca's Funeral Chapels. Exclusive provider for "Veterans & Family Memorial Care". To sign the online guest book or to send a card, please visit our website at www.bacasfuneralchapels.com. 811 S. Gold Ave., Deming, NM 88030. Phone: 575.546.9671