Dr. Robert Martin Marshall

Dr. Robert Martin Marshall

9/27/1935 - 10/20/2019

""My ambition is to be a doctor. I am very interested in the functions of the human body and have already done some research on this subject in the encyclopedias in my home. I am greatly interested in this type of work, even though I will have to work my way through medical school. And, most importantly, it's a service to humanity. I may not succeed, but I have the will, and I can surely try!""

On Oct. 13, 1948, an 8^th-grade student at Signal Hill Grade School in Illinois penned these words in an essay titled ""Choosing Your Life Work."" His teacher gave him an A- and scrawled a note in the margins: ""With such an outlook on life, your battle is already half won.""

She was right. In the 71 years to come, Dr. Robert Martin Marshall's inquisitive mind, tireless work ethic, and humble generosity would impact humanity in ways he never imagined. As a Johns Hopkins-educated physician, he would save the lives of lepers in Nigeria, serve as a medic in the Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis and provide life-saving care for countless patients as a partner with the Denver Cardiology Group.

As a father of four, ""Grampy"" to 11 and great-grandfather to five, he would leave three generations with a philosophy that while hard work and career goals are honorable, they should never come at the expense of time to enjoy music, literature, the outdoors and - most importantly - family.

In the years after his diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease, he would continue to charm his family of beloved caregivers with his quick wit, smooth baritone and grace on the dance floor. He'd discover a knack for watercolor painting, take long strolls with his daughters, and participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer's twice to help fight the disease that robbed him of so much.

Every day of his extraordinary life, which ended Oct. 20, 2019, ""Dr. Bob"" made an impact.

He was born on Sept. 27, 1935, in Webster Grove, Mo., to Eleanor Geneva Marshall (Oberg) and Robert McClelland Marshall, the owner of a livestock business in St. Louis. His beloved aunt Dorothy Marshall took him to the museum as a young child, instilling in him his appreciation for art and music.

He grew up in the small Illinois town of Belleville, Ill. with his two younger sisters, Mary Anne Marshall (Fisher) and Eleanor Jo Marshall (Drescher), where he played trombone and baseball, got good grades (aside from a D in art class he would never forget) and often babysat Mary Anne, occasionally paying her not to tattle when he and his friends got too rambunctious.

By sixth grade, young Bobby felt ""called by God"" to be a physician, a lofty goal made possible in part due to the generosity of his grandfather, Frank Oberg, who opened a small account for him when he was 2 and put his faith in Bobby when others doubted him. A frightening bout with Scarlett Fever in his youth strengthened Bob's conviction to dedicate his life to medicine, and he squirreled away savings, washing cars and caddying at a country club.

In 1956, his junior year at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., Bob's fraternity brother offered to set him up with a blonde, blue-eyed Pi Phi named Yolanda Breeden for the Spring formal. They hit it off, and a few months later, Bob donned a suit and tie, gathered his fraternity brothers and took a road-trip to her college. They stood below Yolanda's dorm window serenading her, and he coaxed her to break the curfew and come sit with him on a wooden swing hanging from a towering linden tree. He gave her his pin that night. On June 6, 1958, they were married.

In 1960, while a student at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, he spent a summer in Nigeria, treating hundreds of patients with leprosy and gaining a new appreciation (which he would reinforce to his children) of the privileges afforded by those who grow up in the United States.

As he made his way through medical school, their family grew, with Marla Lee Marshall (Haley), Kari Lynne Marshall (Pezeshk) and Robert Anthony Marshall arriving between 1960 and 1965.

The three vividly remember the weekend camping trips they took with Dad, a canvas tent strapped to the top of their pea green station wagon as they road tripped to Mexico and the Florida Everglades. He was a stern disciplinarian with little tolerance for whining. Once, when Marla tried to pound some tent stakes into the ground with a hatchet and missed, slicing her index finger open from end to end, he calmly told her to run it under cold water, put a bandage on it and get on with setting up camp. It was classic Dad, and it made his kids tough.

But he also had a tenderness to him. When he took Rob on his first run at age 5, Bob sprinted out ahead challenging his son to run hard but kept looping back to run by his side. Years later, the two played an epic 3.5-hour tennis match during a father-son trip. After Rob won, Bob leapt over the net to embrace his boy and thank him for the best tennis game of his life.

After graduating from Hopkins in 1961 and spending time in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, Dr. Marshall completed his cardiology fellowship at the University of Colorado Medical Center and went on to become a partner with the prestigious Denver Cardiology Group.

He was adored by patients and respected by protégés for his rare blend of encyclopedic medical knowledge and quiet, comforting bedside manner.

As Dr. Bridget Dunn, whom he mentored, put it: ""He exemplified what it meant to take care of the patient, their family and all aspects of their life.

Later in life, Dr. Marshall underwent what his children describe as a softening of the heart, allowing himself time for quieter moments and closer bonds. He taught himself to play piano, spent hours puffing his pipe and flipping through John Irving books by a stream in Winter Park, sailed to far-off places, and went out of his way to attend the ball games and recitals of his grandchildren.

His youngest daughter, Lisa Marshall, remembers walking arm-in arm with him through downtown Denver for their frequent dates to see the Denver Symphony Orchestra.

His daughter Kari, a counselor who followed his footsteps into the helping fields, remembers the encouragement he gave her - even years after his health began to decline - about the value of her chosen profession.

His daughter Marla remembers the black leather jacket he wore when he took her three boys, giggling with delight, for joy rides in his beloved convertible Jaguar.

Even days before his death, ""Dr. Bob"" continued to play the role of caring physician, insisting that his long-time caregiver Tori get her flu shot and gently holding her hand as she winced.

He spent his final days surrounded by loved ones, who sang to him, read to him and struggled to find the words to thank this remarkable man for the gifts he gave us all.

The Marshall family is forever indebted to Dr. Bob's caregivers at Applewood Our House who loved him like a member of their own family and to Elevations Hospice whose support has been immeasurable. His family will celebrate his life privately. In lieu of flowers consider donating to the Alzheimer's Association via this link.