Robert E. Thielke

Robert E. "Bud" Thielke
May 21, 1931 – December 17, 2016

Robert E. "Bud" Thielke, 85, of Castle Rock, passed away on December 17, 2016.

He was born on May 21, 1931 in Richland County, Montana, the son of Clarence and Julia (Fouhy) Thielke.
He graduated from Glasgow High School and later Montana State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Bud honorably served in the US Army during the Korean War. Thanks to his love of tinkering with electronics, he was able to stay stateside and repair radios.

After his service, he worked as a Mechanical Engineer for the Department of Defense, where he was involved in the development of the Minutemen Defense System. He then worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, The National Park Service and Colorado Fish & Wildlife. Following his government service, Bud worked for several years for Coors Brewing Company as a Pressure Vessel Inspector. He later worked at MedVed as a courier and never met a stranger.

Bud was a member of the Cadillac LaSalle club where he enjoyed showing off his 1940 LaSalle. He was also a member of the WMWA (Widowed Men & Women of America) and enjoyed spending time with his WMWA friends.

Bud was an avid Denver Broncos fan, holding season tickets for 42 years ("The Refs were surely paid-off!"). He absolutely loved cars especially going to car shows, working on his cars and building models since he was younger. He could fix cars with anything he could find. He was obsessed with maximizing his gas mileage, to the point where he bought a Toyota Prius. Bud enjoyed word games and playing Sudoku. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed making everyone laugh. Having worked at a brewery, he hated skunky beer. He will be remembered for his bright attitude and boundless energy. He was loved by many and will be greatly missed.
On May 25, 1959, after a 3-month whirlwind romance, he married the love of his life, Delores Boehm. As he grew older, family was important to Bud. He enjoyed weekly lunches with his sons and spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He is survived by 4 sons, Robert J. (Teri) Thielke, James (Erin) Thielke, Mark Thielke and William J. (fiancée Colleen) Thielke; 16 grandchildren, Jayne, Madeline, Shaine (Maddie), Justin, Katieri, Annie, Riley, Broden, Rocco, Keira, Jeffrey (Katie), Ryan, Emily, Noah, Kylie and Alec; three step-grandchildren, Emily, Nicholas and Maxwell; 3 great-grandchildren, Blake, Octavian, and Traiden and many nieces, nephews and friends, including his close friend, Marci.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Delores Thielke on December 17, 2006; his parents; his sisters, Leitha and Dorothy.

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