ROBERT ANTHONY SEGA

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Chisholm, with Rev. Fr. Fred Method celebrating. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the mass at the church on Wednesday. Private family inurnment will be held in Chisholm Cemetery in the Spring. The family has designated memorials be made to cancer research through the Lance Armstrong foundation. Arrangements are entrusted to Rupp Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Chisholm.
Robert Anthony Sega, 70, of Boulder City, Nevada, passed away January 28, 2010 at home surrounded by family. Robert “Gunner” was born October 13, 1939 in Chisholm, Minnesota. He was active in high school sports including football, track, and wrestling. In his senior year, Bob won the regional heavyweight championship (at 176 pounds!) enabling him to wrestle in the Minnesota state championships of 1957. Bob was also very active in hunting and fishing in the woods and lakes of Northern Minnesota.

After high school, Bob attended Michigan Tech in Houghton, Michigan, graduating in ’62 with a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering. Bob began his career in mining at Kennecott in Ray, Arizona in ’62 and Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company in Ishpeming and Palmer Michigan in ‘64. From ‘68 to ‘73, Bob worked at the Eveleth Taconite Company in Duluth, Minnesota. During this time, he met Allis Jensen of Copenhagen, Denmark, married, and had two sons, Michael and Christoffer, while living in Chisholm, Minnesota.

In ‘73, Bob moved his family to Taos, New Mexico while working in the Questa division of MolyCorp Inc. For the next 10 years, Bob continued his exploration of the outdoors with his sons. Together they hunted, fished, and skied the mountain forests, valleys, and streams of Northern New Mexico with dogs (all named Gunner, of course) and horses. There was not a day that if Bob had the time he would not ask his sons to go “scouting for antelope”.

In ‘84, Bob moved his family to Boulder City, Nevada in order to work in the Mountain Pass, Plant of MolyCorp in California. Bob began as Plant Production Superintendent and was promoted to General Manager in ‘86, which he was until his retirement in 1995. During this time Bob was active in the Mining industry in California serving on the executive committee for the California Mining Association and the advisory board to the Mining Department of the University of California, Berkley. Bob received the President’s award from the California Mining Association in 1995.

After retirement, Bob continued to be active in his outdoor activities, hunting with his sons and family throughout the West and Midwestern United States. He also served as Docent for the McCaw school of Mines project, run by the Gordon McCaw Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada, the only such mine attached to a school in the country. Bob also consulted on behalf of MolyCorp, traveling to evaluate company interests in business opportunities overseas.

Around the age of 60, Bob took up diving and in a short time earned his dive master certification. He went sailing and dove in various parts of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

In 2005 when Bob was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he began his association with the Lance Armstrong foundation and the Cyclists Combating Cancer (CCC) group. He trained for and rode in numerous rides to combat cancer. These included the Orange County Ride for the Roses in 2005, and rides in Portland and Austin in connection with the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Bob also rode the Ragbrai race in Iowa (twice) and the Skinny Tire Festival in Moab, Utah.

Bob was also very active in his Catholic community. He was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus and was a reader in the Saint Andrews Catholic community in Boulder City. Bob made it a point to read this last Christmas Eve. Like everything Bob did in life, he either did something completely, or he didn’t.

He is survived by his wife of 41 and a half years Allis Sega; sons - Michael Sega of Las Vegas, Nevada and Christoffer (Stephanie) Sega of Sparks, Nevada; brothers - William (Patricia) Sega of Duluth, Minnesota; Thomas (Roxanne) Sega of Yorkville, Illinois; Francis Sega of Chisholm, Minnesota; Michael (Holly) Sega of Minnetonka, Minnesota; and his sister - Mary Lou (Dr. Mark) Werner of Northfield, Minnesota; brother in-law - Ib (Susanne) Jensen of Denmark; and by 15 nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his parents Louis and Mary Sega.

Life is short. Break the rules.
Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly.
Hug often. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably.
Never regret what made you smile.
Each day is a gift given to us to share with others.
Carpe Diem
Bob