Robert Donald Wild, LCDR USNR (Ret) of Temecula, CA and Rye, CO, peacefully passed away on April 27, 2026 after a long battle with cancer.

Bob was born on May 15, 1952 in Fremont, NE to parents Donald and Hope Wild. He attended Valley High School in Valley, NE through the eleventh grade before moving with his family to Loveland, CO. He graduated from Loveland High School in 1970. He met the love of his life, Barbi Brown during his senior year. They were wed on June 16, 1972 and were married for 53 years.

Bob graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in December 1973, and obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado, Boulder in May 1977. He received a commission in the United States Navy in 1978, which started a long career of travel and adventure for the entire family. After OCS in Newport, RI, and Surface Line Officer School in San Diego, CA, he reported to the USS Blue Ridge as both a Line and Legal Officer. The ship left for Yokosuka, Japan to become the Flagship of the USN 7th Fleet in 1979, and the Wild family went with her. While aboard ship, Bob visited much of the Far East. After 3 years the family returned to San Diego where Bob taught with the Legal Officer Course before leaving active duty. Bob remained in the Reserves, serving his time between Yokosuka, Japan and Seoul, South Korea, finally retiring in 1994.

After leaving active duty, Bob and family returned to Colorado and he became the Assistant District Attorney for Las Animas and Huerfano Counties. After being a prosecutor for 8 years, he joined a criminal defense firm for five years. In 1992, the family moved to their mountain home outside of Rye, CO. In 1997, he wanted a career change and became an Economics and Sociology high school teacher. He found his passion and loved regaling his students with sea stories. After teaching 10 years at South High School, Pueblo, CO, he and Barbi moved to Temecula, CA and both taught another nine years for Perris Union High School, Perris, CA. They retired in 2016 and became avid travelers, both in the US and Europe. They also could now spend more time at their two homes in CO and CA.

Bob loved his 1973 Triumph Spitfire which he and Barbi purchased new in 1973, his Beneteau sailboat on San Diego Bay, and his nine antique Allis Chalmers tractors, complete with implements, housed at their Rye, CO home. He greatly enjoyed his memberships with the San Diego Triumph Sportscar Club and the San Diego Navy Yacht Club. He loved traveling, skiing, sailing, reading, driving his Triumph and tractors, and doing extensive genealogy research.

Bob is survived by his wife Barbi, son Ted (Rebecca) Wild of Longmont, CO, daughter Jennifer Wild (Duane Maes) of San Diego, CA and granddaughter Chapin Miller-Maes of Oahu, HI; his brother Jim (Brenda) Wild of IL and sister Donna Barr of HI; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

A Celebration of Life for Bob will be held on May 16, 2026 from 1 to 5 PM at Chapin Family Vineyards, 36084 Summitville St, Temecula, CA. Other Celebrations are planned for Rye, CO and Fremont, NE later in the summer.