Gary H. Robb

Gary H. Robb, 86, of Spruce, passed away Monday, September 22, 2025.

Gary was born May 3, 1939. The son of Victor and Lucille (Johnston) Robb, he grew up a farm boy under the tutelage and influence of his many aunts and uncles who were raised on the nearby “Robb Farm”.

Gary met the love of his life, Iris (Rasmussen) Robb at a baseball game in Hubbard Lake. He was selling raffle tickets and was smitten. Iris, however, first noticed his turquoise car. He asked her out and wooed her by singing Johnny Mathis songs. After a short courtship, they were married at Spruce Lutheran Church on a cold day in February in 1962.

After graduating from Alpena High School, Gary worked for Robb Brothers Implements for a few years. Eventually, he ventured into self-employment turning his attention to timber harvesting and processing, meeting many people and having many adventures along the way. He ended his career as a safety inspector with the Michigan Association of Timberman.

In his spare time, Gary was a carpenter. Over the years, he built a family home on Hubbard Lake, a family hunting camp and a vacation cabin for his daughter. He also remodeled an Alabama vacation home so he and Iris could be snowbirds and ultimately built a retirement home near Hubbard Lake. Perhaps his biggest project was playing a key role in the building of New Life Lutheran Church where he was one of the founding members. Each of these projects was a labor of love and he enjoyed nothing more than being shoulder to shoulder with friends and family to make these dreams come true.

Gary leaves his family with a legacy of love, wonderful memories and stories to tell. He is survived by his wife Iris, daughters Amy Buck(Daryl Pufahl) and Vicki Dahl, grandsons Austin Buck, Andrew Dahl(Nicole) and Spencer Dahl (Ashley), great-granddaughters Alyssa, Chloe, Mila, Aaliyah and Jasmine and sister, Kathy (Robb) MacArthur.

Visitation will be at New Life Lutheran Church in Spruce on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 10:00 AM until the memorial service at 11:00 AM, with a luncheon to follow. Memorial donations are suggested to New Life Lutheran Church, South Shore Fire Department, or to Hospice Compassus. Arrangements were made through Gillies Funeral Home, Lincoln.