Robert Bjornsen

Robert Earl Bjornsen, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle and lifelong mountaineer and photographer, passed away as the result of an accident on February 21st, 2026, at the age of 78, with his family by his side. Robert was born in Bennington, Vermont, a first-generation American, to Erling Sophus Bjornsen and Elizabeth Bertha Olsson. His father’s journey began in Bergen, Norway, in 1908, and Robert was raised with a deep pride in his Norwegian heritage, growing up alongside his older brother, Richard Andrew Bjornsen. Robert later earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Northeastern University and nurtured a lifelong love of travel, including a ten-week journey through Europe in the 1970s with the love of his life, Mary Ann Bjornsen, in a Volkswagen camper they purchased abroad and brought home to his parents. Robert built a distinguished career as a Director of Quality Assurance in the technology field, working in microelectronics through the transitions of NCR to AT&T in 1991, the formation of Symbios Logic in 1995, and its later acquisition by LSI Logic. Work was something he did with dedication and curiosity, bringing his enjoyment of travel and appreciation for world cultures into every role, but the mountains were where his heart sang. Mountaineering was not simply a passion; it was a calling. He became the 85th documented person to climb the 100 highest peaks in Colorado, accompanied by his dog Chani on all peaks where she was permitted and standing atop Jagged Mountain as his 100th summit. He was also the 401st person to climb all of Colorado’s Fourteeners, a feat he did twice. He returned to Longs Peak fourteen times, drawn again and again to its challenge and beauty. The mountains were his place of joy, humility, and awe, and he passed that deep love on to his daughters, who continue to climb in his footsteps. Robert also had a passion for endurance running and fine craftmanship. His hands were rarely still. A lifelong builder, he created beautiful jewelry boxes, split and moved giant trees around the mountain home he had built himself, assembled his family’s first computer from scratch, and crafted the table that has held decades of shared meals. He quite literally built a home for those he loved. Photography was another lifelong devotion, beginning with a Brownie Kodak camera in childhood. The walls of his home are filled with the mountains and the desert as he saw them, vast, alive, and revealing their Creator. In retirement, he began annual journeys to Alaska, following the quiet trails of the bears, wolves, and birds he sought to photograph, waiting patiently in their world, and capturing fleeting moments of wild beauty with joy and awe. Robert delighted in making people laugh, and his sense of humor always lit up a room. He also carried a practical Norwegian sensibility, always intent on getting the best price possible or, more often, doing it himself. Robert had a deep love for dogs, finding companionship and joy in their loyal presence. To his family, Robert was forever a superhero, swooping in during emergencies, keeping a cool head, and answering innumerable questions whether mundane or profound. He was also a lifelong member of Sons of Norway, as was his father. Robert is survived by his spouse, Mary Ann Bjornsen; his daughters, Sonja Elizabeth Bjornsen and Kristin Erline Anthony Bjornsen; his grandchildren, Ivan, Alexander, Maryella, and Benedict Samet-Bjornsen; his brother, Richard Andrew Bjornsen; and his cousin Joan Habicht and family; along with numerous cousins and relatives in Norway. As Robert embarks on a new, eternal adventure on God’s Holy Mountain, he leaves behind a legacy of exploration, craftsmanship, and deep love for family and the wild places that shaped him. Takk for alt (thanks for everything)

Robert Bjornsen

February 26, 2026