Robert Duane Savage

Robert Duane Savage
27 February 1953 – 22 February 2021

Bob Savage, long-time resident of Cheyenne, Wyoming and owner of the Double S Garage, passed away in the early hours of Monday, February 22. He was born in Bagdad, Arizona, an isolated copper mining town in the western part of the state. The family soon after relocated to the farm country of central Illinois where Bob and his seven siblings grew up. His stepfather Lorrin was a farmer and machinist, and his mother Hattie worked as a nurse. Young Bob acquired many of his distinguishing skills and personal characteristics while growing up on the family farm: mechanical aptitude, a strong work ethic, and personal integrity. Bob could also be a handful. During a childhood event still vividly recounted by his surviving siblings, mother Hattie - while preparing dinner - grew so exasperated by Bob’s unmannerly back talk that she threw an egg at him. No one who knew Bob will be surprised by this family narrative keepsake.

After attending high school in Atkinson, Illinois, Bob demonstrated a young man’s preference for adventure, itinerancy, headstrong rebellion, and occasional misbehavior. He drifted from Wisconsin to Tennessee and Minnesota, eventually landing in Wyoming in 1986. He made a living first as a journeyman auto technician and later as a master mechanic in a career that spanned 45 years. He held numerous automotive service and repair certifications, and was from the beginning exceptionally adept at engine and transmission repair. His skillset was highly regarded. Cheyenne dealerships and a few local independent automotive repair shops regularly turned to Bob when they couldn’t diagnose or fix particularly difficult vehicle problems. One very senior mechanic at a local dealership recently admitted Bob was the best mechanic he ever knew.

As anyone who spent time with Bob knows, he was a study of contrasts and extremes. He could be surly and hot-tempered, but also very kind and generous to a fault. He could quote flawlessly from the Bible from memory, yet he never attended church. He sometimes treated others with cantankerous disregard, but treated his pet dogs and battalion of stray cats with great and caring affection. It’s worth noting that s¬ome of his friends have commented that they hope to return in their next life as one of Bob’s dogs. He was honest, straightforward, and fiercely loyal to his friends, but intolerant of those who failed to display the foundational values of hard work and honesty that he learned during his youth.

Bob was preceeded in death by his birth father Robert, his stepfather Lorrin, his mother Hattie, his brother Monte, and his sister Darcy. He is survived by his brother Steven and his sisters Janean, Lana, Lauree, and Lisa. Robert now waits patiently for the remaining members of his family. We pray God will forgive them all for what will surely be a boisterous reunion.

In keeping with Bob’s deep affection for animals, donations in his memory can be made to the Black Dog Animal Rescue, 2407 East 9th Street, Cheyenne, WY.