Bob Van Alyne
Bob was married to Barbara “Dolfe” Brown Van Alyne, the 14th child of Tandy and Grace. His obituary is posted below.
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The Remarkable Family of Tandy and Grace Brown
Mike Brown has graciously offered to be the Brown Family Blogger! He will attempt to take up where Dolfe left off with the Plain Brown Rappers, keeping us up to date. If you would like to contribute or comment on the blog, please go to tandyandgrace.tumblr.com and click on the "Submit" button in the upper left corner. You will need to enter your name and email in order to comment. You can also ask Mike a question by clicking on "Ask me anything" in the same area. If you want to include a picture, you do that by clicking the pulldown menu in the toolbar where it says "Text", selecting "Photo" and dragging your photo into the box. Add your text in the "Caption" box. Please let us know what is going on with you and your family! If you click on a photo in the blog, you can see it full size. As a side note, please identify which branch (i.e.sibling) you are connected to--some of us have a hard time keeping it all straight!
Obituary – Robert A. Van Alyne
Robert Arthur ‘Bob’ Van Alyne died on March 1, 2020, at his home in Gardnerville NV. Born August 18, 1931, in Cheyenne to Walter Henry Van Alyne and Charlotte Adelle Wright Van Alyne, he was the youngest of four children.
Bob was educated in Cheyenne schools, except for a brief period during World War II when his family lived in Ft. Collins CO. He graduated from Cheyenne High School in 1949, where he was active in ROTC and played on the varsity basketball team.
He married Barbara ‘Dolfe’ Brown on November 24, 1951, at the First Presbyterian Church, where he later became an Elder and a Deacon. They had four children.
Bob joined the Wyoming Army National Guard on April 6, 1950. He served as a traditional Guardsman before becoming a full-time technician. He was appointed the Wyoming Army Guard’s first Command Sergeant Major on August 1, 1969, among the first selected and federally recognized nationwide. He attended the Sergeant Major’s Academy and served at the Pentagon on the Department of the Army and Department of Defense staff. Bob was a Founding Member of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, an organization dedicated to promoting the status, welfare, and professionalism of Enlisted members of the National Guard. He received many awards and medals during a career that spanned over 41 years. Bob retired in August 1991.
As a boy, Bob was a Boy Scout. As an adult, he served Scouting as a leader at the troop, district, and council level. He was Scoutmaster of Troop 116 for many years and led Scouts to a National Jamboree in 1969 and a World Jamboree in Japan in 1971. A 50 Year Veteran in Boy Scouts, Bob received the Cheyenne District Buckaroo Award and the Longs Peak Council Silver Beaver Award, along with many other adult leader recognitions.
He is survived by his children, Barbara Nash (Walter), Roger (Susan) and Rodney (Catherine), seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dolfe, son Robert Jr, his parents, two brothers and sister.
Bob impacted many people’s lives personally and professionally. He personified the expression that ‘No man ever stands so tall as when he kneels to help another.’ To honor their wishes, his family is planning a military service and burial for their parents in Arlington National Cemetery.
Nancy was the 12th child of Tandy and Grace.
This was an article published in the March 26, 2012, Wyoming Tribune - Eagle the Cheyenne newspaper. This came from the files of Dolfe Brown Van Alyne. Charles and Dolfe are children of Tandy and Grace.