Robert Harold Colenbaugh

Robert Harold Colenbaugh, aged 94, passed away peacefully on July 31, 2024, at Peterson Memorial Hospital in Kerrville, TX. He was born in Chicago, Illinois one year after the invention of sliced bread, on August 6, 1929, to Archie Olaf Colenbaugh and Emma Ray, who also had an older son, Ray. Growing up during the Depression, Bob found his first work at 8 years old in a factory and in his free time as a teen enjoyed racing junk cars with friends. During summers, he frequently rode the train by himself from Chicago to Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked in the tobacco barns of extended family. He graduated from Lane Technical High School and then went on to honorably serve in the United States Army where at the onset of the Cold War he was stationed as a mortarman along the border between East and West Germany. Following his service, Bob returned to Chicago and married his next-door neighbor Barbara June McCauley, remaining married for 29 years until her passing in 1984. He explored work in a wide range of fields such as ammunitions manufacturing, glass-cutting, and ranching before working in operations and sales for Birkle Machine Works and later as a sales engineer for U.S. Tsubaki. His career in industrial machinery aligned with his great passion for restoring antique cars from the 1920s and 30s. Bob could take a frame found in a farmer’s field and scavenged parts and, using his hands and deep automotive knowledge, turn those pieces into a showroom-quality car. He found great pride in doing all the work himself, whether that was mechanical, electrical, upholstery or painting, and enjoyed research and collaboration with other car enthusiasts. Following his retirement, Bob began the second great journey of his life when he moved to Florida and met Carole Rogers on a blind date. They married in 1988 and first moved from Florida to Arizona before settling in Kerrville, Texas. During their 36-year marriage they attended car swap meets, entered local car shows where Bob won several 1st place trophies, and took wonderful care of each other. Bob Colenbaugh will be remembered for the act of making a little go a long way and keeping five or six jokes fresh for decades.

He is survived by his wife, Carole Colenbaugh of Kerrville, Texas; son, Rob Colenbaugh (Kelley) of Kennesaw, Georgia; stepdaughters, Kelly (Bill) Hackel of Austin, TX and Kimberly Cochran of Kerrville, TX. In additional he was loved by his four grandchildren, Carson and Kendall Colenbaugh, Benjamin Peacock, and was preceded in death by Justin Eckis.

Family, friends, and others are invited to the Kerrville Funeral Home at 1221 Junction Highway on August 5, 2024 at 10am for a visitation followed by a funeral service at 11am and internment at the Garden of Memories in Kerrville, Texas following the service.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to children’s related charities: Shriner’s International, St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital or a similar organization.

 Services with integrity, pride, and honor are under the direction of Kerrville Funeral Home. (830) 895-5111