Arthroscopy Pioneer, Robert Vincent “Bob” Johnson Dies Age 89

Robert Vincent “Bob” Johnson, M.D., a Northern Colorado pioneer in arthroscopy and co-founder of Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies, passed away at home on September 2, at the age of 89.

Johnson served as team doctor for Colorado State University’s football and basketball teams and Poudre High School’s football team for many years.

In 2000, he was also the team physician for the U.S. National Wrestling Team and traveled with the team to the 2000 Pan American Wrestling Championships in Colombia.

Johnson earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. He graduated in 1960 with honors and completed his internship at Chicago’s Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital in 1961.

Next, he did a four-year orthopedic residency at the University of Illinois Research and Educational Hospitals, and then he enlisted in the United States Air Force.

He served in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1967 as an orthopedic surgeon at Air Force Academy Hospital.

After his military service, he, Dr. Douglas Murray, Dr. Chuck Collopy. and Dr. Ben Magsamen formed Fort Collins Orthopaedic Associates. They also built a clinic near Poudre Valley Hospital.

In 1990, Fort Collins Orthopaedic Associates was renamed the Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies and the partners built a new surgery/recovery center and therapy center at 2500 East Prospect Road. Johnson continued to work there until he retired in 2002.

Johnson was known as a skilled surgeon who could stay calm under pressure. He was devoted to his patients and staff at the Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies and Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Johnson was born in Lafayette, Indiana, the oldest of a large family of six children. He spent his childhood in nearby Delphi.

His parents owned a small-town newspaper called the Delphi Citizen and at first, he thought he would follow in their footsteps.

When he enrolled in DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, in 1952 he was a Rector Scholar and English major. It wasn’t until he joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity that he discovered that he enjoyed his fraternity brothers’ pre-med classes more than his own.

While he was at DePauw University, he met and fell in love with a classmate Ginny, who would eventually become his wife and the love of his life.

Johnson loved to be active and had many interests including photography, traveling the world, and supporting his favorite sports teams. He loved to ski, bike, and play tennis.

“Bob had an abundance of love for his family. We adored him and treasured our adventures together. Above all, we cherished our time as a large, extended family sitting around the kitchen table, sharing stories and jokes, eating good food, and enjoying each other’s company,” his family wrote.

Johnson is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ginny; their four sons, Steve, Mike, Tom, and Matt; 13 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his siblings Ann Tudor, Mike Johnson, Jerry Johnson, and Mary Johnson.

He was preceded in death by his father, Myron Johnson; his mother, Eileen Rahilly Johnson; and his sister, Sara Adair.