Robert Louis Lederer passed away peacefully in the loving embrace of his family on Saturday, February 22, 2025. He was 83 years old. Bob managed to survive a battle with metastatic prostate cancer for nearly three decades due to his courage and resilience, remarkable advances in cancer research and treatment, and the ongoing support of his care team, colleagues, family, and friends.

Bob was born to Arthur and Blanche (Fisher) Lederer on June 21,1941, in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a meat cutter of Czech descent, who moved the family to Burlington, Wisconsin before Bob started school. It was there that he met his lifelong friend and future wife, Marlene Ganswindt, in kindergarten.

After graduating from Burlington High School, Bob attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a four year, full-ride ROTC scholarship. He intended to graduate as an officer and pursue a career in the Navy, but his aspirations shifted. After two years of study, Bob decided he wanted to become a doctor.

Bob and Marlene re-connected in college, fell in love, and were married on December 26, 1962. Their first child, Steve, was born the following year. Bob entered the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1963.

By chance or fate, the school opened four new practicum positions in its Referred Pediatrics Department his internship year, and Bob was selected for one of them. He was fascinated by the rare and complex conditions they studied, and the attending physicians' clinical skills and rapport with children. He quickly recognized that these were his people, and pediatric medicine was where he belonged.

Bob and Marlene's second son, Doug, was born in 1966. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Rochester, New York, where Bob completed his residency and served as Chief Pediatric Resident for an additional year. A fellowship in Public Health Administration brought the family to Denver in 1969.

Bob and Marlene loved the culture and climate of Colorado and wanted to stay, but pediatric positions were hard to find. A friend and fellow doctor suggested that Bob explore possibilities with a newly-established, prepaid healthcare plan with a small number of shareholder physicians, called Kaiser Permanente.

Bob was one of the first doctors hired by the Colorado Permanente Medical Group (employee number 103). He worked for CPMG his entire career, until his retirement in 2014. He cherished his relationships with the many families he knew and cared for in his clinical practice and took great pleasure in watching his patients grow into adults. The sense of purpose and fulfillment he derived from helping infants, children, and their parents inspired his daughter Megan, born in 1977, to become a pediatrician herself.

In addition to caring for his patients, Bob served on the State Board of Medical Examiners, the CPMG Board of Directors, and as physician-in-charge of the Kaiser Permanente Franklin Medical Offices. After retirement, he continued to provide health care for people as a volunteer with Denver's Samaritan House Homeless Shelter and other community clinics.

An outgoing, approachable person, Bob enjoyed meeting and talking with people wherever he went. His ability to bring people together through group activities and social events earned him the nicknames "Mr. Networking" and "the Mayor." At the heart of his endeavors was a sincere desire to build and be in community and to work collectively toward the common good.

Bob and Marlene were long-time, active members of Park Hill Congregational Church, where they developed deep friendships while exploring faith practices rooted in social justice and peace. The PHCC Men's Group provided a place for Bob to share joys and challenges for many years and was an indispensable part of his life.

Bob enjoyed spending time in nature, camping, boating, hiking, and skiing—but his favorite outdoor activity was fishing. Some of his most meaningful memories were of fishing with his father and grandfather, when they shared family history and stories about the experiences that shaped their lives. Bob claimed that he could remember every Colorado river he ever fished in, not for the catch, but for the many happy hours of solitude, beauty, and reflection they provided him.

Bob treasured the experience of raising his own three kids, taking car trips, celebrating holidays, and teaching them practical skills like how to carve a turkey or change a flat tire. He encouraged them to expand their horizons by engaging with people, places, and ideas beyond the familiar through education and travel.

His grandchildren will remember Grandpa as someone who read to them, played with them, and took them on adventures. He was a model of integrity who provided a safe-haven and passed on many lessons. Practice compassion for yourself and others. Learn from your mistakes. Recognize the strength of humility. Be present in the moment. Have fun. Maintain hope in the face of darkness. Appreciate what you have. Take care of the people you love. And don't use your fork like a shovel. Bob's legacy is best captured by the Forest Whitcraft quote that hung in his home office. "A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."

Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Marlene. He is survived by his brother, Herb Lederer; his children, Steve (Martha), Doug (Jennifer) and Meg; six grandchildren, Ben, Molly, Matt, Emilie, Connor, and Logan; and one great-grandchild, Owen.

A celebration of Bob's life will be held on Friday, March 28, at 2:30 pm, Park Hill Congregational Church, 2600 Leyden Street, Denver, 80207. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob's honor to Park Hill Congregational Church UCC parkhillucc.org/ or Samaritan House Homeless Shelter ccdenver.org