Obituary for Robert H. Deming
Robert H. Deming, 86, passed away peacefully at his home in Maui, HI on Sept. 4th with Beverly A. Deming, his wife of 67 years, at his side.
Bob was born, May 16, 1934, in Indianapolis, IN, to Margaret and Herschel Deming. He moved to Denver at age 13, where he met Bev Baker, the love of his life. Bob walked Bev home after school and told her that he would marry her someday. They married at age 19 in 1953 while they were students at the University of Colorado Boulder. They always believed that they had a split soul.
Bob received his BA and MA from the CU Boulder Business School and then earned a doctorate in business at Harvard University on a Ford Foundation Fellowship. He had an enormously successful career as an entrepreneur. He founded his first company, DESA Industries, in 1968. He later acquired Toastmaster (a manufacturer of kitchen appliances), and served as its CEO and Chairman for over 2 decades. Under his leadership, Toastmaster acquired other manufacturers and went public on the NYSE. After Bob retired, he and Bev split their time between their mountain home in Genesee, CO and their beachfront home in Maui. They endowed the Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Entrepreneurship Center at CU’s Leeds School of Business.
Bob loved the outdoors and had a deep appreciation for the beauty and majesty of nature, which he shared with his family though camping and skiing. Throughout his life, he was an avid hiker, mostly in Colorado but also in Nepal, Switzerland, Thailand, and Peru. Bob and Bev explored the world, visiting almost 40 countries and all 7 continents.
Bob was the proud father of 4 sons, 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. His son Rob, predeceased him. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; his son Steve and his wife Joan; his son Doug and his wife Julia; and his son Bruce and his husband Jeff Byrne; his grandchildren Christine Salyards and her husband John, Charlene Deming and her husband Jeffrey Glenn, Douglas Bader Deming and his wife Elzbieta, Kaylyn Banerjee and her husband Kush, Anna Byrne-Deming and Henry Byrne-Deming; and his great-grandchildren Lukas Salyards, Madisen Salyards, Sabine Banerjee and George Glenn-Deming.
The family is holding a private memorial.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a charity of your choice.
Bob was born, May 16, 1934, in Indianapolis, IN, to Margaret and Herschel Deming. He moved to Denver at age 13, where he met Bev Baker, the love of his life. Bob walked Bev home after school and told her that he would marry her someday. They married at age 19 in 1953 while they were students at the University of Colorado Boulder. They always believed that they had a split soul.
Bob received his BA and MA from the CU Boulder Business School and then earned a doctorate in business at Harvard University on a Ford Foundation Fellowship. He had an enormously successful career as an entrepreneur. He founded his first company, DESA Industries, in 1968. He later acquired Toastmaster (a manufacturer of kitchen appliances), and served as its CEO and Chairman for over 2 decades. Under his leadership, Toastmaster acquired other manufacturers and went public on the NYSE. After Bob retired, he and Bev split their time between their mountain home in Genesee, CO and their beachfront home in Maui. They endowed the Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Entrepreneurship Center at CU’s Leeds School of Business.
Bob loved the outdoors and had a deep appreciation for the beauty and majesty of nature, which he shared with his family though camping and skiing. Throughout his life, he was an avid hiker, mostly in Colorado but also in Nepal, Switzerland, Thailand, and Peru. Bob and Bev explored the world, visiting almost 40 countries and all 7 continents.
Bob was the proud father of 4 sons, 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. His son Rob, predeceased him. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; his son Steve and his wife Joan; his son Doug and his wife Julia; and his son Bruce and his husband Jeff Byrne; his grandchildren Christine Salyards and her husband John, Charlene Deming and her husband Jeffrey Glenn, Douglas Bader Deming and his wife Elzbieta, Kaylyn Banerjee and her husband Kush, Anna Byrne-Deming and Henry Byrne-Deming; and his great-grandchildren Lukas Salyards, Madisen Salyards, Sabine Banerjee and George Glenn-Deming.
The family is holding a private memorial.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a charity of your choice.