Robert Dean Tschirki

Robert Dean Tschirki passed peacefully in his sleep and returned home to his Father in Heaven on May 23, 2020.

He is survived by his wife and soul mate, Amanda Tschirki (Hesterman) of Centennial, Colorado; sister, Donna Mae Nedved of Clear Lake, Iowa; daughter, Rhonda (Jon) Cudeback of Long Beach, California; daughter Lona (Barry) Arrington of Aurora, Colorado; son, Chris (Geri) Tschirki of Orem, Utah; and grandchildren Zach Dubin, Connor Cudeback, Mandi O'Brien-Quintana, Zeek Arrington, Izzie Arrington, Nate Arrington, Drew Tschirki, Maddie Tschirki, Jon Tschirki, Nick Tschirki, and Katie Tschirki.

Born August 31, 1937 in Hayfield, Iowa to Christian Julius and Anna Mildred Tschirki, his parents instilled in him an amazing work ethic that helped shape his life. Upon high school graduation at age 16, Bob contemplated the biggest decision to that point of his life-continue a career on the farm or pursue a college education. He decided to further his education with the support of his parents, making him the first in his family to obtain a college degree. He earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Northern Iowa at Cedar Falls in 1958, where he met his first wife, Joan Tschirki (Plummer), and together they had three children. He taught social studies and history and coached varsity basketball teams in Clarence, Tipton, Grinnell, and Spencer in Iowa. After receiving his Master of Education Administration degree at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, he became a high school principal at Spencer and was named Outstanding Young Educator there in 1968, participating in world development seminars at the United Nations and in Mexico. He was active in the Iowa Association of Secondary School Principals and the North Central Association of School Administrators. He became a superintendent of public schools for the first time in Newton, Iowa, and in 1972, he received a Doctor of Philosophy at Iowa State University in Ames. His renowned career in education extended beyond Iowa to the Burnsville Public Schools in Minnesota, Littleton Public Schools in Colorado, National Association of School Executives in Washington, D.C., and culminated at Cherry Creek Schools in Colorado.

During his tenure as a superintendent, Bob was awarded the Colorado Superintendent of the Year in 1988, he received an appointment in 1997 to an educational commission by Colorado Governor Roy Romer and the Colorado General Assembly in honor of hard work and commitment on behalf of young children and families, the Iowa State University Virgil S. Lagomarcino Laureate Award in 1998, and the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of School Administrators in 2005. He served as superintendent for Cherry Creek School District from 1990-1999 and Executive Director of the Colorado Association of School Executives thereafter. He is the recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence, Phi Delta Kappa Award for Leadership in Education, Colbert Cushing Award, Danforth/NASE Fellow, and was one of the two first inductees in the Cherry Creek School District's Wall of Fame.

One of Bob's greatest loves was the game of golf. He was a long-time member of Columbine Country Club in Littleton and spent many a day on the golf course enjoying the blue sky, green grass and great friends. He won several tournaments and championships over the years and had the great fortune of being able to play many beautiful courses. He was a consummate gentleman every time he played, respecting the nuances and etiquette of the game, and set a great example for others in that regard. Another love of Bob's was music. He could be found at home listening to Gospel music and Elvis Presley. At family gatherings, he would often break out his saxophone while his sister, Donna, played the piano.

Bob was blessed with a LOVING family, a solid faith, and was driven by integrity. He never took this foundation and these God-given gifts for granted. He recognized these gifts and sought to magnify them and share them with others as revealed by his life journey. Bob loved and supported his family and led by example. Bob had an insatiable desire to learn and improve as a student of life. Although he encouraged his children to excel in their education, he taught the importance of being true to themselves, putting others first, and selflessly serving others. He was driven by principles and motivated by love. He was always present when others were near. He never spoke of his many accomplishments. He was humble and willing to learn from others. If you knew him, this was self-evident. He was an amazing listener and valued what others had to say. He was always willing to come alongside you in your journey. After speaking with Bob, you walked away enriched and felt blessed. He was ready and willing to share his wisdom with others to help them achieve greatness. Bob was a man of God who loved his family and all who crossed his path. Bob was inspired by Albert Schweitzer's message: ""Example is not the main thing, it is the only thing."" He was blessed with the Tschirki smile, which we promise to carry on, dad! In the words of our father and husband, ""Make this a Great Day!""

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider making a donation to one of Bob's charities, Smile Train at https://www.smiletrain.org/, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at https://www.nationalmssociety.org/, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/. Please visit https://www.bobtschirki.com to share memories and upload pictures or https://horancares.com/ to share memories only.