Robert Monroe, Rocky Mountain Pipe Inspector, Dies at 55

Steamboat Springs —Robert Leonard Monroe died Tuesday, October 13, at his home in Greeley. He was 55.

The Steamboat Pilot published the obituary on October 14. Monroe was born in Powell, Wyoming, in 1971. His family moved back to Hayden, Colorado, where he grew up. He spent every spring fishing a secret spot at Steamboat Lake. That routine defined his connection to the Western Slope for decades.

Monroe’s life work was in oilfield pipe inspection. In 1976, his parents, Lois and Larry Monroe, established Rocky Mountain Inspection Services. Robert joined them on jobsites as a child, cleaning pipe connections. He helped grow the company into a full-service operation serving the DJ Basin. The obituary notes his problem-solving skills were most visible in the pipe yard.

He spent more than 20 years building a mountain property near Oak Creek. He transformed a primitive plot into a self-sustained hunting camp for his family. It was a project he intended to pass down through generations.

In the final six years of his life, Monroe traveled across the country with his fiancée, Tracy Shippen. The obituary highlights a shift in his demeanor. Neighbors and friends noted he laughed more often in Tracy’s company than at any other point in his life.

Monroe is survived by Shippen, who lives in Casper, Wyoming. He leaves behind his mother, Lois Monroe, of Greeley. His children include Britny Monroe and Dakota Gates in Frederick; Braden Monroe and Maya Arrieta-Walden in Briggsdale; Brennon and Brooke Monroe in Eaton; and Bryson Monroe and Trisha Ekema in Eaton. Shippen’s daughter, Jazmyne Patterson of Casper, also survives him.

He leaves behind grandchildren Masyn and Joseph Smith in Frederick. An expected grandchild, River Monroe, is on the way. His sister Alice Greene and husband Joe Greene live in Oak Creek.

The family did not release a cause of death. The obituary states he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.

Monroe’s legacy is tangible. It sits in the hunting camp he built with his own hands near Oak Creek. It operates in the family business that still serves the oilfields of the region. He was a quiet man who checked tires and stocked pantries without asking if it was needed.

The Steamboat Pilot reported that his actions spoke louder than his words. He found joy in creating things that would last.

The funeral arrangements were not listed in the initial release. The family is asking for donations to be made in his name, though no specific charity was named in the obituary text.

Monroe’s life spanned two decades of significant change on the Western Slope. He watched the oil boom and bust cycles from the pipe yard. He built a retreat in the mountains while working in the fields below. He died in Greeley, not in the town where he spent his summers or the camp he built.

Tracy Shippen remains in Casper. The family is scattered across Colorado and Wyoming. Frederick, Briggsdale, Eaton, Oak Creek, Greeley, Casper. The map of his life is a patchwork of the places he touched.

He was 55. He died on a Tuesday. The Steamboat Pilot printed the news on Wednesday.

The hunting camp near Oak Creek stands alone now. It is a self-sustained property, built to last. Whether it will be used by the next generation remains a private matter for his children. The obituary says it was built so the family could share the outdoors together.

Monroe’s father, Larry Monroe, is not mentioned as surviving him. Only his mother, Lois, is listed among the survivors. Larry Monroe helped establish the company in 1976. Robert joined him on jobsites as a child.

The DJ Basin continues to produce oil and gas. Rocky Mountain Inspection Services continues to operate. The pipe yard where Monroe solved problems with creativity and perseverance is still active.

He didn’t need to ask if you were taken care of. He simply made sure you were.

That is how he lived. That is how he died.