Robert (Bob) Anthony Campolieto

“One of the greatest gifts I ever had came from God, I call him Dad”

Robert (Bob) Anthony Campolieto, age 83, passed away peacefully on June 4, 2025.

Bob was born in Muskegon, Michigan on January 26, 1942. His mother, Lavinia (Vicki) Fowler, an Army nurse, met and wed his stepfather, Daniel Campolieto, and the family moved to Syracuse, NY.

Always more fascinated with engines and airplanes than schoolwork, he attended Christian Brothers Academy but graduated from Onondaga Senior High School in 1960. He later earned a CLU (professional distinction in the financial services industry) from American College.

On April 14, 1960, shortly after graduating from high school, Bob enlisted as an Airman in the United States Air Force.  He served two tours described as “remote” tours because he spent much of this time in an isolated and extremely cold region in Greenland.  Throughout the Cold War (1947-1991) Greenland was considered an important and strategic location due to its proximity to the Soviet Union – vital for monitoring Soviet activities.  As a young Airman, Bob was tasked with maintaining and operating the radar systems that scanned the skies for potential threats and was one of the first to work on the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System when it was deployed to Thule Air Base in 1960.  When offered another tour at what would have been the beginning of the Vietnam War, Bob politely declined and was honorably discharged on November 30, 1964. While his time in the service was challenging and the living conditions harsh, he took with him a love for airplanes and a lifelong desire to obtain a pilot’s license.

Upon his return to civilian life, Bob returned to Syracuse, New York and began a job at Carrier International, a heating and cooling manufacturer. It was here that he met his wife, Charlotte Landers.  They married on June 18, 1966, and welcomed their first child, a daughter, Christine, in 1967. Soon after, in 1969, their second child was born, a son, Marc.

In the early 1970s Bob moved his family to Colorado.  While the reason for the move was to help his brother, James (Jimmy) Campolieto, who suffered from Cystic Fibrosis (Colorado was believed to alleviate respiratory illnesses because of the high altitude, abundant sunshine and clean mountain air), Bob proclaimed his reason to be “Go west, young man!”.  They bought their first home in Arvada, Colorado and in 1973, welcomed their third child, a son, Robert (Rob).

Bob supported his family by working as an insurance broker and financial planner.  While he became very successful in his work, his heart loved adventure and almost anything with a motor.  Every summer he would load up his young family and head off for a road trip (usually to West Virginia or Florida) enduring constant requests to pull over for bathroom breaks (which he would never do – you had to hold it until the next gasoline stop), or shouts from the way way back exclaiming “are we there yet?”.   Family stories revolve around the many times the car broke down along the way or he got pulled over for speeding (always in the state of Missouri – known to his family as the state of Misery).  Challenges aside, we all came to love the road trips almost as much as he did.

In the years after his children grew up and following his adventurous spirit, Bob left Colorado and embarked on a house flipping project in Peoria, Arizona.  With his attention to detail and a talent for restoration, it wasn’t long before the house sold at a considerable profit and he was off again – this time to Clever, Missouri.  It was here that he realized a dream of owning some land and building a workshop.

In 2014, Bob returned to Colorado and purchased a home in Limon.  After the one acre lot became too much for him to maintain, he moved into a fifth wheel parked on the land that his son, Marc and daughter-in-law, Tasha, own.

Bob was an avid lover of vintage automobiles (especially Ford Mustangs).  He thoughtfully and beautifully restored two Mustang convertibles.  A 1965 GT and a 1966 Mustang named “Hi Pockets” because of the denim pockets sewn on the back of each seat. He was one of the original founders of the Early Mustang Club which is still very active today.  From 1976-1978 he started one of the largest car shows in Denver, Colorado, The Old Car World Fair.   The Old Car World Fair boasted some of the most rare vintage and new show cars in the nation and featured such talent as “Blinky” the clown (a local celebrity with his own public television show) and John Schneider (Bo Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard).

Bob is survived by his daughter Christine Ralston and her husband John Ralston, son Marc Campolieto and his wife Tasha Riggs Campolieto, son Rob Campolieto and his wife Kristin Braun Campolieto and his grandchildren Caden Spiller and Coltin Spiller, Walker Riggs and Faith Riggs, and Braeden Campolieto, Kendall Campolieto and Caroline Campolieto.  He is also survived by his beloved long hair Chihuahua, Mermaid (who he affectionately called “Murmur”).  Bob was preceded in death by his mother, Vicki Campolieto, his stepfather, Daniel Campolieto and his brother, James (Jimmy) Campolieto.

He will be greatly missed by his family.  We love you, Dad, always!