Robert Jordan

Robert Dean Jordan, a resident at Wind Crest retirement community in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, died on Saturday, December 5, 2020 at the age of 91.

Called "Bob" by all who knew him, he was born July 7, 1929 in South Whitley, Indiana to Don and Lurabelle (Martin) Jordan. He had one older brother, Jim (now deceased); and, later, a sister, Nancy. He graduated from Warsaw High School in Warsaw, Indiana in the class of 1947.

He enjoyed sports his entire life; and lettered in football, basketball, and track in high school, and was a first team all-conference center in football his senior year. He also lettered in football his first year at College. He had a wide variety of work experiences. In the eighth and ninth grades he delivered the Chicago Tribune. In ninth and tenth grades he worked as a "soda jerk" at the local drug store. And in the summers before his eleventh and twelfth grades he delivered ice to homes in the Warsaw area. After one year of college, he left to train under his brother Jim to be a telegraph operator on the Nickel Plate railroad.

After military service, he attended Indiana University where he majored in Economics and graduated in June of 1957. While at IU he worked in the language lab; then moved on to a rural paper route delivering the Bloomington newspaper to some 350 subscribers.

Following graduation Bob went to work for Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Peoria, IL where he first completed the College Graduate training program; after which he joined the General Office's labor relations department. The field of Labor Relations was to become his sole endeavor for the rest of his 30 year working career. He left Caterpillar to work for Allied Mills in Chicago; then joined Joy Mfg. Co. in Pittsburgh and eventually was promoted to Vice President, Labor Relations. Due to Joy being acquired in a leveraged buyout in 1987, Bob elected to take early retirement.

His military service consisted of a three year enlistment in the Marine Corps. He went to Boot Camp in San Diego where he was named Honor Man of his honor platoon. Following advanced infantry training, he shipped out to Korea with an intermediate stop in Japan. Shortly after arriving in Korea, he was ordered to the front to replace a radio operator who had been wounded, and while there spent a month on an outpost very close to Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone where the peace talks were being held. Later while in regimental reserve, Bob became a CW (telegraph) operator.

Upon return to the states, he was assigned to the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Co. and ordered to the Navy's sixth fleet which was leaving for a Mediterranean cruise. While on the cruise he visited Morocco, France, Greece, Malta, and Italy. In the latter he visited Rome, Pisa, Florence and the Italian Alps. His last assignment took him to the Naval Mine Depot in Yorktown, Virginia where he was honorably separated from active service with the rank of Sergeant.

While at Yorktown he met his wife to be. He and Dee were married January 16,1955, and spent the next 64 years together. They lived in Bloomington, IN, Peoria, IL, York, PA, Lisle, IL, Franklin, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Richmond, VA, and finally Denver. CO.

He is survived by his daughter Lori of Denver; his son Brett, daughter-in-law Sheena, and granddaughter Kylie, of Irvine, CA. He is also survived by his sister Nancy and brother-in-law Lou Mesavage of Medina, Ohio; as well as several nieces and nephews. Bob is preceded in death by his beloved wife Dee and his brother, Jim.

Funeral arrangements will be handled by the firm of Horan & McConaty, and interment will be at Fort Logan National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations go to the Salvation Army.