Robert “Bob” Colon PhD, 75, passed away peacefully Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in Worcester, Mass. Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, at Mount Vernon Cemetery, Mount Vernon, by Pastor John Matthews. Arrangements by Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Mount Vernon.
Bob is survived by his wife of 30 years, Bonnie; daughters, Cara Colon (Troy Stille) of Woodward, Lisa Lance (Brandon Arvesen) of Baltimore, Md., and Katie (Mark) Stukowski of Holden; brother, Douglas Colon (Nancy Ryan) of Melbourne, Australia; and three grandchildren, Adam, Jonathan and Jaime Stukowski.
Bob was born Cedar Rapids and raised in Mount Vernon, the son of John and Helen (Emerson) Colon. He graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1962. He married Paula Thomson in Mount Vernon in 1966 and they had one daughter, Cara.
Robert earned his bachelor’s degree, master’s, and doctorate all at the University of Iowa. He married Bonnie Amundson in 1989 in Fargo, N.D. The next year, they moved to Indiana, where Professor Colon began his tenure at Purdue University. He was a dedicated educator from 1990 to 2015 and served as head of the department of graduate studies in education for 10 years.
In 2018, Robert and Bonnie relocated to Holden, Mass., to be near their family and joined Immanuel Lutheran Church. While teaching was always his true passion, he was also an avid reader. He enjoyed music, singing Barbershop, and was a member of his church choir. His family and friends will be reminded of him when they hear the whistle of a happy tune.
Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association or to Brookhaven Hospice, 114 Turnpike Road, Suite 206, Westborough, MA 01581.
Robert ‘Bob’ Colon
August 11, 2021