This is a copy of the obituary which ran in the Albuquerque Journal on Sunday, July 2, 2023.
Robert “Bob” Hagan, age 76, passed away peacefully at his home in Laughlin, NV, on June 24, 2023, from lung cancer complications. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, and will be greatly missed.
Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Bob’s choice to study journalism at the University of Illinois gave him some latitude with the US Army, which assigned him as an information specialist in Germany during the height of the Cold War and the Vietnam draft. Upon return to civilian life, he married, and he and his wife Donna established one of the first video-rental stores in the country.
Bob’s love of frontier tales and the outdoors soon led him to leave the big city for Albuquerque, NM. For 36 years, Bob happily raised his family there and had a successful career as a journalist, then as a public relations specialist in both industry and government. In retirement, he continued to pursue his interests as a historian and ultimately resettled in Nevada, at the edge of the Mojave Desert. He authored a nonfiction book, “Tracking Nana,” which chronicles the life of a late nineteenth century Apache warrior who sought to avenge wrongs to his tribe.
Bob was known for his inquisitive mind, love of exploring the backcountry, and quick wit. He is survived by his wife Donna, children Kathryn (Dominic) and Michael (Meg), granddaughter Maeve, sister Jacquelyn (Ron), cherished nieces, nephews, and extended family, and countless friends and fellow-travelers he met along life’s winding road.
Bob will be cremated and laid to rest by his family in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the New Mexico Historical Society (https://hsnm.org).
Tracking Nana 