JACKSON, Wyo. — The friends and family of Robert Rust will hold a celebration of life at the Old Wilson School House on Saturday, March 26 at 3 p.m.
Rust, 37, died Feb. 21 in a single car accident on Colorado Highway 145. He was a longtime Jackson resident and was living and working in Colorado at the time of the accident.
Born in Maryland, Robert moved to Jackson in the early 2000s to work as a fly fishing guide at Brooks Lake Lodge. He also spent many years managing Pepi Stiegler’s ski shop in Teton Village. A lover of all things outdoors, Rust had a passion for skiing, fishing, hockey and backpacking. After completing a master’s degree from the University of Wyoming in 2018, where he received accolades for his studies in paleoecology, Rust worked at a land trust in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and a wildfire mitigation nonprofit in Montrose, Colorado.
His family and friends remember him as a kind, gentle spirit who made lifelong friends wherever he went. His bubbling laugh and warm smile drew others to him, and he never failed to show compassion and offer a listening ear to those around him.
One friend noted, “it is hard to imagine that the mountains are still standing without Rob in them. He will be deeply and greatly missed.”
Friends and family members are welcome to share a short memory, story, or anecdote that encapsulates Rob’s spirit during the service. The celebration will continue into the evening at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson for guests unable to attend the memorial.
Rust leaves behind his wife, Catherine DiSanto Rust, of Jackson, sister Maggie Moore and her husband Paul, of Castle Pines, Colorado, and father David Rust and his wife Shelley, of Santa Rosa, California. He was predeceased in November by his loving mother, Janie Rust, of Easton, Maryland. Robert also leaves behind two beloved nephews, Von and Slater, his dogs Leidy and Piper, and many adoring extended family members and in-laws.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to the Wyoming Wilderness Association, Oxford Kids’ Camp, or Send Me a Friend. For those who cannot attend, the service will be streamed here.
