Robert "Bob" Dahlberg

Robert “Bob” Dahlberg passed from this life on April 3, 2023 at his home below Needle Rock near Crawford, Colorado. He was born on May 22, 1928 in Denver, Colorado to Tycho and Carin (Lundgren) Dahlberg. He spent his childhood years in the north Denver area; from 1932 to 1942 the family lived at Derby Lake near Commerce City, on land that was to become the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, which is now a Wildlife Preserve. 

Prior to graduating from Lakewood High School in 1946, Robert began to learn the mechanic trade working for his cousins at the Lundgren Garage in Commerce City and by working on his own cars. This began a lifelong journey with automobiles and driving! Having started driving at eight years old, a stripped-down Studebaker used by his brother-in-law to farm, he progressed from there to driving his dad’s 1928 Ford, then buying, modifying and selling numerous early 1930’s cars before buying his 1939 LaSalle coupe in 1951. He soon had the LaSalle performing at its best, and was known to tell stories about the drag races he and his friends had down Colfax Avenue in the wee hours of the morning. 

He met and married Donna Fern Dahlberg in 1951 and they struck out for California, in the LaSalle, complete with the only place left for the ironing board - tied across the front bumper. There he learned the body shop business and returned to Colorado to work as an auto body man, and eventually taking a job as shop foreman for Colorado Kenworth. 

Bob and Donna had two children, Rick and Kathy, and the family happily spent their weekends and all of their dad’s vacation in the summer camping, fishing and roaming the high country of Colorado in their 1942 Willy's Jeep. In 1971 Bob decided it was time to leave Denver, so he moved the family to Carbondale where he owned and operated Valley Body Shop in Glenwood springs for 12 years. Bob started to restore cars there, favoring the early English Jaguar models. In 1983 he moved to Crawford to build a home and shop below Needle Rock to pursue his love of restoring old classic cars. Sadly, the family lost Bob and Donna’s son, Rick, in a car accident in Alaska in 1985 and Donna, his wife of 38 years died five years later.

In 1991 Bob met Ann Linman of Crawford. They spent 30 happy years together at the home below Needle Rock, having many adventures with the Ute Trails Car Club, traveling far and wide in a variety of classic cars. During those years Bob lovingly completed a second restoration on the ’39 LaSalle, and finally in 2021 “handed over the steering wheel” to his daughter Kathy and, for the very first time in 70 years, he became the passenger in his own LaSalle.  

Bob is survived by his daughter, Kathy (Rick) Steckel and his two grandchildren, Richard Erik Steckel of Crawford, and Anna Linnea Steckel of Montreal Canada, and numerous nieces and nephews. 

Bob was preceded in death by his wife Donna Boyce Dahlberg, his son Richard Lloyd Dahlberg, his companion Ann Linman, his parents Tycho and Carin Dahlberg, brothers Bert Dahlberg and Roland Dahlberg and his sister Svea Beeler. loved and will be so missed. 

Join the family for a Celebration of Life at 11 am on April 14, 2023 at the Crawford Community Center, at 425 Hwy 92, in Crawford. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial contributions made in his name to the Ute Trails Car Club, c/o Lynn Krebs, 61272 Hillsdale Dr, Montrose, CO 81401 or HopeWest Hospice, PO Box 24, Delta, CO 81416. He was so loved and will be so missed.