Friends and colleagues of the late Bob Larson mourned the death of the former Woodland Park Police Chief in a ceremony last week at the Ute Pass Cultural Center.

Larson died Sept. 28 at the age of 78 in his home in Michigan.

Larson served the city’s police department for 36 years, the last 16 as the chief until he retired in 2015. He began his 44-year career in law enforcement in the U.S. Army.  Before joining the department in Woodland Park, Larson was the marshal in Green Mountain Falls.

In times of crisis, Larson was calm, his leadership characterized by integrity and morality, said John Gomes, who served as Larson’s deputy chief.

“He was a cornerstone for all of us, with his sense of reasoning and calm,” Gomes said.  “He made you look at things differently.”

Gomes recalls Larson’s leadership during tumultuous situations such as the Hayman and Waldo Canyon fires and the resulting evacuations. On another national event, Gomes lauded the chief’s direction during the U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge when hundreds of riders passed through town.

Well, maybe Larson wasn’t 100% calm.

“I remember that once he got upset,” said Jim Halloran, who started as a reserve officer in the department, retiring as a commander. Halloran acknowledged that he wasn’t sure what the issue was that rattled his chief. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.”

At times, Halloran, who at the time had just made an arrest, questioned why people commit heinous crimes. Halloran recalled Larson’s reply: “It doesn’t have to make sense; they don’t think like we do.”

Mike Rulo, former Woodland Park Police Chief and one of Larson’s hunting buddies, spoke of the chief’s intellect. 

“He was interested in the arcane aspects of the law,” Rulo said. “He should have been a lawyer.”

Larson was chief during the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999. Rulo recalled Larson’s observation that the shootings would change law enforcement for a long time.

Suzanne LeClercq, who managed the city’s Teen Court which Larson founded to give teenagers a second chance, considered her boss a father figure.  

“He didn’t demand respect, he earned it,” said LeClercq, the city’s deputy city manager. “He had a passion for helping young people and Teen Court was a nationally recognized program. He touched so many lives.”

While others noted Larson’s compassion, David Buttery highlighted the chief’s ability to find humor that others might miss.

“His laugh was deep and contagious,” said Buttery, former Woodland Park city manager.  “His team believed in him.”

Buttery paid tribute to Larson’s wife, Chris, who with their adult children, Peter and Jeanine, were listening online to the memorial.  

“She understood his calling,” he said. “She kept him grounded.”

Larson has left a profound and lasting impact on the city of Woodland Park, said Mayor Kellie Case.

“He was a remarkable leader who led with humility and respect. He had a quiet strength,” Case said.

Glen Jardon, who retired from the department as a corporal, led the invocation and closing prayer. After retiring, Jardon became a pastor of Presbyterian churches in the San Luis Valley and Aguilar.

Woodland Park Police Chief Chris Deisler, who did not know Larson, noted that the former chief’s legacy will endure through the police department’s Robert J. Larson Scholarship for a Woodland Park High School senior, beginning next year. 

Larson’s wife Chris and their adult children Peter and Jeanine were listening online to the memorial.