Robert Douglas Barbee

Bob Barbee passed away on Sunday, October 2, at home in Bozeman, MT with his wife of 58 years, Carol, and his daughter Deb by his side. He was 80 years old.

Bob was born on November 12, 1935, in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Colorado State University (CSU) in 1958 and returned to CSU earning a Masters in Natural Resource Management in 1968.



Throughout Bob's life and career he was devoted to his wife and three daughters. Together they shared adventures far and wide climbing mountains and hiking thousands of miles in America's National Parks and other great breathtaking places.



Bob’s career with the National Park Service spanned 42 years taking his family from Rocky Mountain, Yosemite, Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, Point Reyes, Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, San Francisco, Hawaii Volcanoes, Redwoods, and Yellowstone National Park. After 12 eventful years in Yellowstone, Bob became Regional Director of the Alaskan parks, where he served until his retirement in 2000, capping a distinguished 42-year public service career. Bob and Carol settled in Bozeman Montana to enjoy their retirement.



Bob was a passionate outdoorsman, an expert alpinist who summited all of Colorado's 14ers. He was also a marathon-level runner and a downhill and cross-country skier. A gifted photographer who studied and worked with Ansel Adams in Yosemite. He and his wife Carol visited all seven continents while he photographed the world's great natural and cultural areas.



Bob is survived by his wife, Carol, daughters, Deb Barbee (Mike Gerard) of Jackson, WY, Heidi Barbee, (Norbert Samlowski) of Steamboat Springs, CO, and Cindra Barbee (Mark Deleray) of Kalispell, MT. Seven grandchildren, Madison and Chase Gerard, Tyler, Sam and Hannah Samlowski and Anna and Kade Deleray and their beloved dog, Koko.

If you would like to honor Bob a fund has been set up with Yellowstone Forever (formerly Yellowstone Park Foundation). At the request of the family the Yellowstone Forever organization is in the process of establishing a special project or scholarship fund in Bob's name. Contributions can be mailed to: Yellowstone Forever, Barbee Memorial Project Fund, 222 E. Main Street, Bozeman, MT 59715. Yellowstone Forever is the primary partner organization of Yellowstone National Park and a 501 c 3 non-profit organization.

A celebration of Bob's life will be held in May in Yellowstone National Park. The date of this event will be announced later.