Obituary for Robin (Reed) Nypaver
Robin Edith Nypaver (Reed, née Brown) passed away on February 15, 2022, in Colorado Springs, CO. She was surrounded by her loving husband, Stephen Nypaver, her caring son, Peter Reed, and her adoring daughter, Morgan Bronson. Robin will be forever missed by her husband, children, sister, Susan Ayers, brother, Peter Brown, and grandchildren, Sophie, Sam, Bobby, and Max, as well as her dear friends and all who knew her.
Robin was born in New Hampshire in 1948 to Robert and Mary Brown. Both her parents were in the Army which afforded Robin many opportunities to travel around the United States and Europe.
After graduating from William Palmer High School, Robin went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Metropolitan State College, and then a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Northern Colorado. Robin worked as a public health nurse at the El Paso County Health Department from 1986 to 2008. For many years, she visited young mothers and new babies and did well-baby care. She loved to play with babies and help new moms; after a while she was transferred to communicable diseases where she worked until her retirement.
Robin and Stephen were married on May 31, 1997 at the Pauline Chapel at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. It was a lovely service. Stephen‘s brother Bernard sang there. Afterwards, they had a reception in a big tent in Stephen‘s backyard. They flew to San Francisco for their honeymoon, riding cable cars, eating Ghirardelli chocolate, and drinking wine in the Napa Valley. Robert Mondavi even gave them a free bottle of Napa wine.
Back in Colorado, they started hiking 14ers, with Grays and Torreys by Denver being the first two. Robin could always go up faster than Stephen. Later, Robin developed breast cancer and she sort of found out about it in October 1997 when they were trying to climb Missouri Mountain. After her chemotherapy, Stephen was always able to go up the mountains faster than Robin. But she didn’t mind. She adored hiking with Stephen.
Since they were both in the Colorado Mountain Club, they started adventure trips to Peru, to hike the Inca trail, to Bolivia to climb a 20,000-foot mountain, and eventually, in 2007 to Nepal. The Sherpas were the nicest people, and always loved Robin with her silver hair. Stephen climbed Island Peak. He was so happy to see Robin’s glowing smile when he came down three days later.
Winters were special for Robin and Stephen. They both loved to ski. It was hard to tell who was a better skier, and Robin liked to ski at Ski Cooper, Copper Mountain and at Breckenridge. She also liked to go up to Mount Princeton Hot Springs, both in the summer and winter to soak in the water. In the winter, there was snowshoeing and more cross-country skiing. A lot of those trips to Mount Princeton were Colorado Mountain Club trips; they always included breakfasts and dinners, with a glass or two of wine with dinner.
In fall 2001, Robin and Stephen started going to Hawaii. Robin truly loved Hawaii. She loved the ocean, she loved to snorkel at Hanauma Bay, she loved to see the big waves at Waimea Bay. She developed a big fondness for boogie boarding at Bellows Air Force station. In November 2021, they went for a two-week vacation. It was a wonderful time. The balcony at the Hale Koa was a favorite place for Robin to sit and enjoy the Hawaiian weather and watch all the birds fly around. While snorkeling at Waikiki, she spotted a big sea turtle. She grabbed Stephen to come over and follow the turtle in the water.
Robin traveled to Europe a lot, with Stephen, on their own trips, Rick Steves tours, and on Viking river boats. They would fly to England on British Airways, enjoying the food and British ale. Since Stephen had lived in Germany, they would visit Stephen‘s old landlord and eat at old guest houses in Dettelbach. The ringing of the Church bells at 6 in the morning would wake them up - this a wonderful sound. Robin was thrilled to be able to drive at 130 mph on the autobahn in southern Germany.
Their first Rick Steves tour was in Italy, to Venice, Florence, and Rome. Robin was absolutely enthralled with Venice. They took a boat through the lagoon from the airport to get to the dock for the hotel. And then followed little winding streets to find a hotel, an adventure in and of itself. The clerk at the hotel was named Christmas, and he was a delightful man. Robin really liked the cappuccinos for breakfast at the hotel. Most of all, she liked gelatos, a snack she ate almost every afternoon.
Twice they went on Rick Steves tours in Paris. Robin and Stephen would spend a lot of time on their own wandering through the little streets in the Latin Quarter, finding unique little shops, and eating in small cafés. Once Robin followed a trail of little white plaster mice placed on the street. They led them to an artist in a café where they sat and had an espresso. In keeping with our climbing heritage, Stephen and Robin hiked up to the second floor of the Eiffel tower. Later, they rode elevators to the top. What a view of Paris! They also hiked the stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, which was not far from their favorite hotel, Hotel des Deux Avenue. In 2016, Robin was in Paris for the Christmas market on the Champs Élysées. Then, on a Viking boat, they went to the Christmas markets along the Seine River to Normandy. She loved the little one in Rouen.
Their first Viking boat trip was on the Rhine River. As a little girl, Robin had been in Germany with her parents. Her father was an officer stationed in Munich and in Frankfurt. Robin had gone to a German kindergarten, so a little bit of Germany was still familiar to her, and she could speak German. The boat rides were fantastic. You could sit out in the sun and look at the little towns and the castles up in the hills. Robin and Stephen took Viking boat rides on the Danube, especially to see all the Christmas markets there. Robin's favorite was Nuremberg, always Nuremberg. Her next favorite was Vienna. Only the Christmas markets in Heidelberg and Rothenberg disappointed her. But she still loved them. And on the 2019 Christmas Market ride from Budapest to Nuremberg, Robin was able to get back to the Christmas market in Munich. She was disappointed because she could not remember it being like it was when she was a little girl. Robin caught the flu in Nuremberg. An ambulance took her to a German Hospital on the north side of town. Robin did not like that hospital; they served true German food and she was in an isolation room. Eventually, Stephen was able to help her “escape,” fly business class back to the United States, and go to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs.
Stephen and Robin also went on three Viking ocean boats. The first in the Caribbean which had some choppy water, which Robin really enjoyed. The second was to Australia and New Zealand. The third Viking trip was a long trip to the eastern Caribbean islands. Robin could swim in the ocean, and the water was really warm. And you could snorkel! Robin loved that trip. She was going to go back in the fall of 2020.
Stephen had planned many more trips for Robin, but the pandemic prevented them from going.
Robin loved to garden. She liked to have raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and apple trees. Stephen and she expanded their garden numerous times. She had all kinds of flowers and loved to tell Morgan about the different types of flowers. She loved it when Sophie, as a two or three-year-old, would come over to pick raspberries.
A favorite local place for Robin to hike was the Zook Loop in Cheyenne Mountain State Park. It was an easy trail. But she did all the other trails too, always looking for flowers and berries and deer. She also loved Cheyenne Canon. One of her favorite trails there was the Mountain Cutler Trail, and then to go even further up to Mount Muscoco. Once Robin put a small harness on Sophie, and then had a rope from Sophie to her so she could make sure Sophie won’t fall off the trail. Robin and Stephen even ice climbed on the Helen Hunt waterfalls and the falls above it in the winter. Robin was a good belayer.
The easiest place to go was for the one-mile hike along Quail Lake. One winter long ago, Robin would hold Sophie and slide down the hill on her bottom with Sophie. Stephen brought out a sled, it was a lot nicer to go down on the big sled. She would also cross-country ski around Quail Lake.
After she retired. Robin was able to be at home and to be a babysitter for Sophie, Peter‘s daughter and Robin’s granddaughter. When Sophie was very small, she would sleep on Robin when Robin was in the easy chair. Sophie liked to play hide and seek in the house with Robin and Stephen. Sophie also liked Christmas day when she got lots of presents. She would hand them out, but Sophie always liked to get the presents. Robin wrapped everything beautifully, absolutely beautifully.
In the summer, when Sophie was 2, 3, and 4 years old, Robin and Sophie would often be in the backyard in the little swimming pools and bigger swimming pools. Sophie loved playing in the swimming pools and Robin would watch her. Sometimes when Stephen was there, they had water balloon and squirt gun fights.
Words cannot express how much Robin will be missed. In her 74 years of life, she touched so many people’s lives: new mothers, newborns, nurses, friends, siblings, children, grandchildren, and especially her devoted and tender-hearted husband, Stephen.
Robin was born in New Hampshire in 1948 to Robert and Mary Brown. Both her parents were in the Army which afforded Robin many opportunities to travel around the United States and Europe.
After graduating from William Palmer High School, Robin went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Metropolitan State College, and then a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Northern Colorado. Robin worked as a public health nurse at the El Paso County Health Department from 1986 to 2008. For many years, she visited young mothers and new babies and did well-baby care. She loved to play with babies and help new moms; after a while she was transferred to communicable diseases where she worked until her retirement.
Robin and Stephen were married on May 31, 1997 at the Pauline Chapel at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. It was a lovely service. Stephen‘s brother Bernard sang there. Afterwards, they had a reception in a big tent in Stephen‘s backyard. They flew to San Francisco for their honeymoon, riding cable cars, eating Ghirardelli chocolate, and drinking wine in the Napa Valley. Robert Mondavi even gave them a free bottle of Napa wine.
Back in Colorado, they started hiking 14ers, with Grays and Torreys by Denver being the first two. Robin could always go up faster than Stephen. Later, Robin developed breast cancer and she sort of found out about it in October 1997 when they were trying to climb Missouri Mountain. After her chemotherapy, Stephen was always able to go up the mountains faster than Robin. But she didn’t mind. She adored hiking with Stephen.
Since they were both in the Colorado Mountain Club, they started adventure trips to Peru, to hike the Inca trail, to Bolivia to climb a 20,000-foot mountain, and eventually, in 2007 to Nepal. The Sherpas were the nicest people, and always loved Robin with her silver hair. Stephen climbed Island Peak. He was so happy to see Robin’s glowing smile when he came down three days later.
Winters were special for Robin and Stephen. They both loved to ski. It was hard to tell who was a better skier, and Robin liked to ski at Ski Cooper, Copper Mountain and at Breckenridge. She also liked to go up to Mount Princeton Hot Springs, both in the summer and winter to soak in the water. In the winter, there was snowshoeing and more cross-country skiing. A lot of those trips to Mount Princeton were Colorado Mountain Club trips; they always included breakfasts and dinners, with a glass or two of wine with dinner.
In fall 2001, Robin and Stephen started going to Hawaii. Robin truly loved Hawaii. She loved the ocean, she loved to snorkel at Hanauma Bay, she loved to see the big waves at Waimea Bay. She developed a big fondness for boogie boarding at Bellows Air Force station. In November 2021, they went for a two-week vacation. It was a wonderful time. The balcony at the Hale Koa was a favorite place for Robin to sit and enjoy the Hawaiian weather and watch all the birds fly around. While snorkeling at Waikiki, she spotted a big sea turtle. She grabbed Stephen to come over and follow the turtle in the water.
Robin traveled to Europe a lot, with Stephen, on their own trips, Rick Steves tours, and on Viking river boats. They would fly to England on British Airways, enjoying the food and British ale. Since Stephen had lived in Germany, they would visit Stephen‘s old landlord and eat at old guest houses in Dettelbach. The ringing of the Church bells at 6 in the morning would wake them up - this a wonderful sound. Robin was thrilled to be able to drive at 130 mph on the autobahn in southern Germany.
Their first Rick Steves tour was in Italy, to Venice, Florence, and Rome. Robin was absolutely enthralled with Venice. They took a boat through the lagoon from the airport to get to the dock for the hotel. And then followed little winding streets to find a hotel, an adventure in and of itself. The clerk at the hotel was named Christmas, and he was a delightful man. Robin really liked the cappuccinos for breakfast at the hotel. Most of all, she liked gelatos, a snack she ate almost every afternoon.
Twice they went on Rick Steves tours in Paris. Robin and Stephen would spend a lot of time on their own wandering through the little streets in the Latin Quarter, finding unique little shops, and eating in small cafés. Once Robin followed a trail of little white plaster mice placed on the street. They led them to an artist in a café where they sat and had an espresso. In keeping with our climbing heritage, Stephen and Robin hiked up to the second floor of the Eiffel tower. Later, they rode elevators to the top. What a view of Paris! They also hiked the stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, which was not far from their favorite hotel, Hotel des Deux Avenue. In 2016, Robin was in Paris for the Christmas market on the Champs Élysées. Then, on a Viking boat, they went to the Christmas markets along the Seine River to Normandy. She loved the little one in Rouen.
Their first Viking boat trip was on the Rhine River. As a little girl, Robin had been in Germany with her parents. Her father was an officer stationed in Munich and in Frankfurt. Robin had gone to a German kindergarten, so a little bit of Germany was still familiar to her, and she could speak German. The boat rides were fantastic. You could sit out in the sun and look at the little towns and the castles up in the hills. Robin and Stephen took Viking boat rides on the Danube, especially to see all the Christmas markets there. Robin's favorite was Nuremberg, always Nuremberg. Her next favorite was Vienna. Only the Christmas markets in Heidelberg and Rothenberg disappointed her. But she still loved them. And on the 2019 Christmas Market ride from Budapest to Nuremberg, Robin was able to get back to the Christmas market in Munich. She was disappointed because she could not remember it being like it was when she was a little girl. Robin caught the flu in Nuremberg. An ambulance took her to a German Hospital on the north side of town. Robin did not like that hospital; they served true German food and she was in an isolation room. Eventually, Stephen was able to help her “escape,” fly business class back to the United States, and go to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs.
Stephen and Robin also went on three Viking ocean boats. The first in the Caribbean which had some choppy water, which Robin really enjoyed. The second was to Australia and New Zealand. The third Viking trip was a long trip to the eastern Caribbean islands. Robin could swim in the ocean, and the water was really warm. And you could snorkel! Robin loved that trip. She was going to go back in the fall of 2020.
Stephen had planned many more trips for Robin, but the pandemic prevented them from going.
Robin loved to garden. She liked to have raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and apple trees. Stephen and she expanded their garden numerous times. She had all kinds of flowers and loved to tell Morgan about the different types of flowers. She loved it when Sophie, as a two or three-year-old, would come over to pick raspberries.
A favorite local place for Robin to hike was the Zook Loop in Cheyenne Mountain State Park. It was an easy trail. But she did all the other trails too, always looking for flowers and berries and deer. She also loved Cheyenne Canon. One of her favorite trails there was the Mountain Cutler Trail, and then to go even further up to Mount Muscoco. Once Robin put a small harness on Sophie, and then had a rope from Sophie to her so she could make sure Sophie won’t fall off the trail. Robin and Stephen even ice climbed on the Helen Hunt waterfalls and the falls above it in the winter. Robin was a good belayer.
The easiest place to go was for the one-mile hike along Quail Lake. One winter long ago, Robin would hold Sophie and slide down the hill on her bottom with Sophie. Stephen brought out a sled, it was a lot nicer to go down on the big sled. She would also cross-country ski around Quail Lake.
After she retired. Robin was able to be at home and to be a babysitter for Sophie, Peter‘s daughter and Robin’s granddaughter. When Sophie was very small, she would sleep on Robin when Robin was in the easy chair. Sophie liked to play hide and seek in the house with Robin and Stephen. Sophie also liked Christmas day when she got lots of presents. She would hand them out, but Sophie always liked to get the presents. Robin wrapped everything beautifully, absolutely beautifully.
In the summer, when Sophie was 2, 3, and 4 years old, Robin and Sophie would often be in the backyard in the little swimming pools and bigger swimming pools. Sophie loved playing in the swimming pools and Robin would watch her. Sometimes when Stephen was there, they had water balloon and squirt gun fights.
Words cannot express how much Robin will be missed. In her 74 years of life, she touched so many people’s lives: new mothers, newborns, nurses, friends, siblings, children, grandchildren, and especially her devoted and tender-hearted husband, Stephen.