Obituary: Robert H. Quenon

The Irish have an expression – when someone dies, they have "gone west." It is very fitting to say that Bob Quenon has gone west. He first came to the North Platte River Valley in 1984, having heard about the Old Baldy Club in Saratoga. A lifelong fisherman, he fell in love with the North Platte and its many deep holes, riffles and runs. Every year since 1984, Bob and Jean came to Saratoga in the summer, often joined by other family members. In 1993 they bought a house on the Old Baldy grounds, overlooking the hay fields and river valley. Bob served on the board of directors of the Old Baldy Club from 2002 to 2007, and was president of the board from 2003 to 2006. He and Jean made many friends here and consider Saratoga their second home. Bob was always generous with his time and treasure, and taught his children and grandchildren how to fish, ski and play golf, and always welcomed friends and friends of friends into the mix.

Bob was born in 1928. A native of Fairmont, W. Va., he attended Fairmont High School. At age 17 he enlisted in the army and served in Korea. He went to West Virginia University on the GI Bill and got a BS in Mining Engineering. He later got a law degree from the George Washington University. Bob spent his entire career in the coal industry, rising in the ranks from miner to mine superintendent to manager of deep mines and eventually to CEO of Peabody Coal Co., one of the largest coal companies in the world. Bob was lucky that throughout his long career he never had a mine disaster on his watch. But he also said, "The harder I work, the luckier I get."

Bob passed away in St. Louis, Mo., on Nov. 19, 2013, after a brief illness. His wife Jean and children Evan, Ann, and Richard were at his side. Bob and Jean were married 60 years, and celebrated the momentous occasion with several parties this past summer in Wyoming. He was a great man – kind, generous, fun – a man of integrity and a true gentleman. He will be deeply and forever missed.

In addition to his wife and children, Bob is survived by his brothers Leonard, Max (Arlene) and Paul Quenon, his sister Carolyn Quenon Oppizzi (Charlie), and his sister-in-law Sara Staats; son-in-law Alec Peters; grandchildren Sarah Quenon, Laura Q. Ozuna, Ross, Gus and Elizabeth Peters, and Anya Quenon, and 19 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister Eileen Quenon Maull.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the Corbett Medical Foundation

P.O. Box 343, Saratoga, WY 82331 or Platte Valley Community Center (PVCC), P.O. Box 128, Saratoga, WY 82331.

 

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