Sep 17, 1952 - Feb 6, 2022

Robert John (“Bob”) Brustad passed away on February 6th, 2022 from metastatic cancer that was initially diagnosed in late January of 2021. He left this world deeply appreciative of his wonderful family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Vone, a native of Bahia, Brazil and his son, Robert (“JJ”), a high school student in Fort Collins. In addition, he is survived by three siblings: Marianne Nardella of Roaring Brook Township, Pennsylvania; William Brustad of Perris, California; and John Brustad of Dana Point, California as well as by his nephews and nieces, Erin Swenson, Mike Nardella and Erik and Heather Brustad. Bob was born in Long Beach, California to John and Kathleen Brustad on September 17, 1952. His father was a mathematician and engineer and a WWII veteran who served in the US Army in the Pacific. His Mother was a math and reading specialist for various school districts in Los Angeles County. His mother was an extremely determined advocate for social justice and a fearless woman who learned to fly at age 23. She was one of the first women to join the US military effort in WWII as a member of the WAVES. Robert Brustad was named for his uncle, Robert Edwin O’Callahan, his mother’s only sibling, who was a Navy pilot on the USS Lexington before being killed in conflict in the Pacific during World War II. 

Growing up in Southern California, Bob was very involved in sports and participated in baseball, basketball and track and field and maintained an active participation in these sports throughout his lifetime. His family settled in Claremont, California where he completed high school before attending the University of California, San Diego where he graduated with Highest Honors. Subsequently, he worked for the State of California Migrant Education program for four years as an afterschool program facilitator and this experience facilitated his desire to become a fluent Spanish speaker. Eventually, he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Oregon where he completed both his Master’s and PhD under the tutelage of Dr. Maureen Weiss, who has remained a lifelong mentor and close friend. While in Eugene, Bob also coached track and field and cross country at Willamette High School and was very proud to be a part of the coaching staff for the track and field team that won the school’s first state championship in any sport. 

Bob taught at the University of Northern Colorado for the last 29 years in the School of Sport and Exercise Science. He received the UNC Distinguished Scholar Award in 2000 and also served as editor or associate editor for two prestigious academic journals. He became fluent in Portuguese as well as Spanish which opened doors to teach and help design curricula at universities in Spain (Valencia & Seville), Portugal (Porto) and Chile (Santiago) over the last 25 years. With former student, Gene Sturgeon, he assisted in the development of the Play2Educate program in the country of Kosovo. Play2Educate was designed to reduce the cultural and nationalist tensions amongst ethnic Albanian and ethnic Serbian adolescents using sport programming and conflict resolution curricula. 

He will greatly miss his family who supplied him with love, laughter and gratitude at all times and with whom he intended to live a much longer life. Nothing brought him greater joy than spending time playing, coaching, and watching sports with his son, particularly the annual spring training baseball trips. He also will greatly miss his wonderful siblings with whom he spent untold hours of laughter and rarely a minute of conflict. He also left innumerable great friends, including his basketball buddies at Northside Aztlan and his loyal running family. He would like to extend his deepest gratitude to all of his wonderful friends, too numerous to mention, who helped him to enjoy life through his final days. 

A private service will be held at Allnutt Funeral Home.