J. Robert “Bob” Young, founder and chairman of Alpine Bank and its holding company, Alpine Banks of Colorado, died Dec. 11 in Florida, surrounded by loved ones, Alpine Banks said in a news release. He was 87.

For more than 50 years, Young built Alpine Bank into one of Colorado’s most respected financial institutions, always guided by his belief in the power of caring for others, the news release said.

“Bob believed in people. He believed in doing what’s right, even when it wasn’t easy,” Alpine Bank President Glen Jammaron said. “He had a rare ability to see the best in others and to draw it out with kindness. I, like so many others, am a better person because of Bob Young.”

Margo-Young Gardey, Young’s daughter and a member of Alpine Bank’s board of directors, said, “The passing of my father marks not just a personal loss, but a passing of the torch at Alpine Bank. His generosity, philanthropy and vision have shaped our communities, and that legacy will continue to strengthen Colorado for years to come. His fierce independence, so evident throughout his life, will remain a guiding light for all of us as we move forward.”

Young’s career in banking began shortly after earning a business administration degree from Wichita State University in 1961, the news release said. After serving with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and gaining commercial banking experience, he followed his vision to create a community-focused bank. In 1973, he opened the first Alpine Bank, originally named Roaring Fork Bank, in Carbondale.

Now with headquarters in Glenwood Springs, Alpine Bank is a statewide institution with 39 locations, including five in the Grand Valley, and $6.8 billion in assets. Throughout Alpine Bank’s growth, Young remained committed to keeping the bank locally owned and employee driven. In 1983, he introduced an employee stock ownership plan, making employees meaningful stakeholders in the bank’s future and creating the conditions for independence beyond his lifetime, the news release said.

Young’s impact extended beyond Alpine Bank. He served as president of the Colorado Bankers Association, spent more than 20 years on the Colorado state banking board and was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 2011, the news release said.

Young was passionate about community service, championing numerous philanthropic efforts across the Western Slope and beyond, the news release said. Among his proudest achievements was the creation of the Alpine Bank First-Generation Scholarship, which has supported more than 300 college students from Colorado.

Young built a culture of service and integrity that continues to guide Alpine Bank’s mission today, the news release said. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the communities he strengthened and the bank he founded with care and purpose.

“From day one, Bob knew that connection builds community,” Jammaron said. “And our commitment to the community will never change, because we are a bank that cares.”

According to the news release, Young said, “The most valuable thing one person can give to another is caring. When you care, everything else just follows.”