Robert Berling

Bob Berling, age 81, of Windsor and Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, died April 22, 2012, in Windsor. He was born in Denver on April 11, 1931, to Reuben and Martha (Horsens) Berling. His early years were spent in the community of Edgewater, Colorado. In 1941, the family moved to a little farm on north Wadsworth Avenue near Broomfield. Bob attended the two-room country grade school known as Mandalay. He graduated from the eighth grade there with a class of four in 1945. The other students were Donna Beasley, Erma Shipley and Louie Elari. Thereafter the four commuted 6 miles to Arvada High School. Bob graduated from Arvada in 1949. After high school, he went to work as a heavy equipment operator for the Jefferson Soil Conservation District. In the fall of 1950, he began his engineering study at Colorado A&M College (now known as Colorado State University). He graduated with honors in Civil Engineering in June 1954. Shortly thereafter, he married Ruth Ann Harkness of Golden, Colorado. They divorced in 1973. In August of 1954 he was inducted into military service, serving two years with the U.S. Army, Fifth Infantry Division, in the occupation of Germany. He was stationed in Augsburg, Germany. In August 1956, he joined the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) in the engineering office at the Denver Federal Center. In a short term assignment to Boulder City, Nevada, he met his mentor and special friend, Art Mitchell. In 1963, he transferred to the Loveland Office of USBR in the week of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In 1967, he was promoted to Chief of Water Operations for the Missouri River Basin – Western Division Power System. In 1974, he was promoted to Project Manager for USBR in Loveland. Later that year, he married Mary Ann (Kremer) Petersen of Longmont, Colorado. In 1976, he led the USBR effort in coping with the Big Thompson River flood. The Colorado-Big Thompson Project sustained one million dollars of facility damage in that event. In 1980, Bob was chosen by USBR for short term foreign assignments in Spain and Suriname, South America. In 1982 he was involved in the USBR response to the Lawn Lake flood in Estes Park. In 1982, Bob and his father Reuben purchased mountain property near Red Feather Lakes that would become known as “Reuben’s Ranch.” Later that same year, he received the Engineering Public Service Award by Colorado State University. With 30 years of Federal service Bob took early retirement from the USBR in 1984. Thereafter, he would work part-time on the improvement of Reuben’s Ranch and serve part-time as a private consulting engineer. In 1985 and 1986, his first two consulting assignments were with USAID on the Indus River system in Pakistan. In 1987, he had the pleasure of working in Jordan with the Jordan Valley Authority. In 1989, Bob led a three-man team to Pakistan for training of irrigation officials for the American Water Foundation. He also completed construction of their current ranch house located at Reuben’s Ranch. In 1990, Bob worked for the Asian Development Bank on improvement of the National Irrigation Authority for the Philippines. He also taught a short course on Irrigation Management at Colorado State University for several years. In 1991, Bob did a short term mission trip with the Resurrection Fellowship Church to help build a Bible School in Argentina. The following year he and Mary Ann would return to Argentina for another such mission assignment. In 1992, Bob served as an Expert Witness on a flood lawsuit case in Twin Falls, Idaho. That same year he would also be part of a two-man study team to evaluate the maintenance program for the old irrigation system on the Nile River in Egypt. Later that year he and Mary Ann would enjoy a personal tour of Israel with Resurrection Fellowship Church. In 1993 Bob served with the Loveland Rotary Club in their assistance program on the "Water Forever" project in Mexico. In 1994, he conducted a training program in the western United States for 20 engineers from India for the American Water Foundation. In 1994 Bob and Mary Ann became members of the Morning Star Community Church (MSCC) in Red Feather Lakes. Later that year, Bob joined up with RAD International Consulting Firm in Fort Collins. In that position he conducted water training programs for Chinese officials in the United States and Mexico for the World Bank. In 1995, Bob and Mary Ann purchased a new winter home in Mesa, Arizona. While in that area, he worked as a Marshall at the nearby Longbow Golf Club. With 40 years of engineering service in the world, he completed his Consulting Service in 1996. In 1997, Bob began his commitment to MSCC by heading up their fundraising effort for a new church building. In 1998 he joined with other members and the MAPPERS organization in the construction of the building. Unfortunately with a faulty flue, that building burned to the ground the following winter. Gratefully, with insurance funds, the church was rebuilt by contract in 1999. In 2001, Bob became an Elder for Morning Star Church for a term of three years. He became an Elder again in 2009. In 2005, Bob and Mary Ann moved back to Windsor, Colorado. In 2006, Bob wrote a book on his professional career entitled My Water Engineering Journey. Aside from his continuing church involvement, Bob has also been a long time member of Rotary International and Gideon’s International. He was President of the Loveland Rotary Club in 1984-1985. Bob is survived by a family of seven children, 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. His immediate family survivors include wife Mary Ann of Windsor; daughter Debora (Ron) Thompson of Houston, Texas; sons: Douglas Berling of Northglenn and Gary (Quin) Berling of Centennial; stepdaughters: Vickie (Steve) Jacobson of Spofford, NH, Cheryl Petersen of Loveland, Diane Petersen of Loveland, and Deb (Don) Cumpsten of Loveland. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in memory of Bob to Morning Star Community Church, PO Box 530, Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545 or to the Evangelical Free Church, 700 Pine St., in Windsor, CO 80550.

Robert Berling

April 11, 1931 - April 22, 2012