YOUR AD HERE »

Obituary: Robert Mack Netherton

Robert Mack Netherton
Special to the Daily |

Robert Mack Netherton

Feb. 29, 1956 – May 23, 2017

Robert Mack Netherton, 61, of Dillon, died suddenly May 23, 2017, of a massive heart attack. He was a devoted husband and loving father who cherished his family and loved living in the mountains.

Bob was born in Southwest City, Missouri, as a leap-year baby on Feb. 29, 1956, and grew up in Miami, Oklahoma, as a jock. He went to college on a baseball scholarship but his sense of adventure called him to Alaska, where he worked in the oil industry at Prudhoe Bay and, later, on the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He settled in Anchorage and flourished in his career as an editor at the Anchorage Times, where he stayed for 20 years. He then moved to Mesa, Arizona, where he continued to distinguish himself as a copy editor for the Mesa Tribune.

Bob moved to Summit County in 1999 and became a copy editor for the Summit Daily News. He was then drawn to another opportunity working as an executive recruiter for the JRP Group, where he has worked and excelled in placing banking officials across the country for the last 15 years.

He delighted in the offerings of Summit County and was particularly fond of umpiring for the Summit County Softball League, where all his friends called him, “Blue.” He loved to fish on Lake Dillon and enjoyed hiking nearby trails with his faithful and devoted dog, Jed. He was kind to everyone and was generous in his spirit and love. Survivors include his wife, Martha Netherton of Dillon; his son Clinton Netherton and his wife, Sarah, of Weiser, Idaho; his son Sam Netherton of Anchorage, Alaska; his sister, Jody Henneke of Stephenville, Texas, and 4 grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his parents, Rex and Helen Netherton, brother Ben Netherton and his sister, Ruth Hendy.

His sign-off phrase and final words to everyone he encountered, especially his sons, exemplified his philosophy on life: “Have fun, be good and don’t get caught.”

A service will be held 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, at Lord of the Mountains Lutheran Church. Donations may be made to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, an organization that continues to provide steadfast support for his grandson, Parker Netherton.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.