Robert Hughes Bohannan

Robert Hughes Bohannan passed away, with his family at his side, on April 3, 2018. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona on April 16, 1950 to Katharine Hughes Bohannan and Robert C. Bohannan, Jr. Rob attended Phoenix Country Day School, where in addition to his classes, he studied with Barry Goldwater to obtain his HAM Radio License. Thus began his interest in politics. He attended Claremont Men's College, and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Political Science. While at ASU, he became a member of Phi Kappa Psi. Rob was a life-long train enthusiast, and later became a Certified Transportation Planner. In the 1980's, he was president of a transportation company that ran buses between Phoenix and multiple Northern Arizona cities. In the 1990's, he was general manager of the San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad out of Benson, Arizona, and was key in running passenger excursions on that railroad for some years, until it was sold and the southern portions abandoned. Rob was also instrumental over the decades in the design and eventual implementation of what became Phoenix's new light rail system, Valley Metro Rail. Just months ago he was still working diligently...[more]

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s he had for more than four decades, toward Arizona regional rail, a system which through his efforts among many now has a decent chance of happening. Rob was a long time consultant with Lima & Assoc., and then more recently an independent consultant for Arizona DOT and Valley Metro. Rob loved music, and his life-long wish of being in a band came to fruition when he joined the New Horizons Band as a trumpet player. He had composed for years, and his arrangement for band of some of his train songs was performed last year at the band's spring concert. He held leadership positions and was very active in many organizations throughout the community such as the Arizona Rail Passenger Association, Downtown Lion's Club, SAR, St. Barnabas Men's Group, CASI New Horizon Band, Davenport, Iowa, Glendale Arizona Summer Band, Hi 12-Noon Masonic Club, Master Mason - Paradise Valley Silver Trowel Lodge #29, Republican Party State Delegate, St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church, Scottish Rite Mason 32 Degree, Sons of the Civil War, York Rite of Free Masonry and the Mayflower Society. Rob is survived by his sister Lisa Hutchison, his nieces and nephews Katharine Springfield (Steve), Bill Hutchison (CC), Rob Hutchison, Libby, Jack, Hope & Trey Hutchison, C.J. & Lux Springfield, his stepmother Margaret Bohannan and his beloved friend Dr. Charles DCamp. Services will be held on Friday, April 13, at 11:00 at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church, with internment to follow at Paradise Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to Arizona Rail Passenger Association, Foothills New Horizon Band or St. Barnabas.