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Bob Mock shepherded aviation program at Metro State

By Paul Willis, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 13, 2008 at 9:05 p.m.

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Bob Mock, a fighter pilot, served in Korea and Vietnam.

Bob Mock, a fighter pilot, served in Korea and Vietnam.

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this story omitted some survivors - his mother, Jeanne Mock, of Aurora; sister, Patricia Hicks, of Aurora; and brother, William Mock, of Bath, N.Y. This error was corrected.

Bob Mock could have turned down every dare offered to him in his final 30 years and still never have been termed weak-legged, unadventurous or a chicken.

Fighter pilots, after all, sometimes put in a life's worth of daring in a single day, perhaps even a single moment.

While Mr. Mock's legacy won't solely be defined by his days as a fighter pilot and 29 years in the Air Force, it will consist largely of being behind the controls of a plane of some sort, a man perhaps more content in the air than on the ground.

Mr. Mock, an integral part of Metro State College's aviation program the past 21 years, died June 15. He was 72. He and his wife, Gail Steger Mock, were involved in a minor auto accident June 13, but Mr. Mock's injuries became fatal after a complication with his regular medications.

He leaves behind a legacy that includes his days in the military, where he served in the Korean War and three tours in Vietnam; his teaching and program-cultivating efforts at Metro State, where he was a current aerospace and aviation professor; and as an advocate for women pilots.

"Bob was spectacular as far as his accomplishments," Gail Steger Mock said. "But he was humble. Major humble."

Among his Mr. Mock's accomplishments as a colonel in the Air Force was the negotiation of the defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines, which earned him the Philippine Legion of Honor.

His fondness for aviation never ceased.

Mr. Mock continued to make his mark in the industry when he was hired as a department chairman at Metro State in 1987.

"Bob Mock was just a wonderful mentor," said Babette Andre, a Metro adjunct aviation professor whom he hired. "He was dynamic, caring. . . . He was always there for you and one of the finest human beings I've ever met."

Mr. Mock, who was born Nov. 17, 1935, in Glens Falls, N.Y., earned Metro State notoriety in 1991 when he was appointed president of the University Aviation Association. He was named dean of the School of Professional Studies in 1996.

He was the principal figure in bringing the World Indoor Airport to Metro, a technologically advanced laboratory that simulates flight and air traffic control.

"He made Metro State's aviation program what it is," said Doug Farnam, an aviation student at Metro.

A scholarship fund in Mr. Mock's name will be created at the college, and Mr. Mock remains under consideration for two awards at the school: the School of Professional Studies' Outstanding Advising Award and the Outstanding Service Award.

Mr. Mock is survived by his mother, Jeanne Mock, of Aurora; sister, Patricia Hicks, of Aurora; and brother, William Mock, of Bath, N.Y.; wife, Gail; son, Chris; stepson, Archie Steger; and granddaughter, Lauren Mock.

A memorial service will be July 25 at Fort Logan Cemetery.

Attendees are asked to arrive no later than 9:45 a.m.

Comments

  • July 14, 2008

    11:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    hhtomatoe writes:

    Paul,
    Good article except you did not include:
    Survived by his Mother, Jeanne Mock and sister, Patricia Hicks of Aurora, CO; and brother, William Mock of Bath, NY.

    The goal for this Scholarship Fund to honor Colonel Mock is $15,000.00. Please send scholarship monies to:

    MSCD Foundation
    P. O. Box 17971
    Denver, CO 80127-9812
    MEMO: Col. Robert K. Mock Scholarship Fund

    Thank you,
    Gail Steger Mock