Bob was born and raised in New Canaan, Connecticut. Childhood was an endless circle of baseball games, bike riding, tobogganing in the winter, and general childhood revelry with his 3 older siblings and next-door neighbors, the Francos, who had 11 children in their family. He moved across the country to attend the greatest college in the world, the University of Oregon. In college he spent some time studying, and a lot of time playing tennis, coaching Little League, selling Kirby vacuum cleaners, and watching the Ducks play football and basketball. Bob worked in the restaurant equipment industry for 36 years. He sold frozen yogurt machines and chicken rotisseries, food processors and meat slicers, blast chillers and refrigerators and ovens and proofers, and anything made out of stainless steel. When it came to work, Dad loved food and he loved helping people make it well, but mostly he just loved the people.
He met the love of his life Jacqueline Jean Smith, in 1980; they were married for 38 years. They raised their two children in Vancouver, Washington where Bob spent most of his spare time over the years involved youth sports. Through coaching recreation and select soccer, he impacted over 50 young people and their families. The Groher family years were full of soccer games and track meets and tennis, vacations to Sunriver, visits to family around the country, holidays and camping and boating with cousins, and always lots of lively and delicious meals.
In 2011 Bob and Jacque moved to Whidbey Island, where they loved and enjoyed their new community, walks along the dike to the beach, hosting parties and overnight guests from the mainland, and their three grandchildren, who arrived starting in 2012. He cooked them as many hot dogs and gave them as many root beer floats and popsicles as he possibly could.
Bob, with his ever-present mustache, was larger-than-life. He was a husband and father before anything else. He adored his grand-kids. He brought people together, he fed them, he made them laugh and he made them feel at home. He will be missed by his wife, Jacqueline (Smith), son Zachary Groher, daughter Alexandra (Groher) Allyne and son-in-law Justin Allyne, his three adored grandchildren, Silas, Audrey, and Henry, and by many friends and extended family members from the Groher, Smith, and Allyne families.
He met the love of his life Jacqueline Jean Smith, in 1980; they were married for 38 years. They raised their two children in Vancouver, Washington where Bob spent most of his spare time over the years involved youth sports. Through coaching recreation and select soccer, he impacted over 50 young people and their families. The Groher family years were full of soccer games and track meets and tennis, vacations to Sunriver, visits to family around the country, holidays and camping and boating with cousins, and always lots of lively and delicious meals.
In 2011 Bob and Jacque moved to Whidbey Island, where they loved and enjoyed their new community, walks along the dike to the beach, hosting parties and overnight guests from the mainland, and their three grandchildren, who arrived starting in 2012. He cooked them as many hot dogs and gave them as many root beer floats and popsicles as he possibly could.
Bob, with his ever-present mustache, was larger-than-life. He was a husband and father before anything else. He adored his grand-kids. He brought people together, he fed them, he made them laugh and he made them feel at home. He will be missed by his wife, Jacqueline (Smith), son Zachary Groher, daughter Alexandra (Groher) Allyne and son-in-law Justin Allyne, his three adored grandchildren, Silas, Audrey, and Henry, and by many friends and extended family members from the Groher, Smith, and Allyne families.
Bob was born and raised in New Canaan, Connecticut. Childhood was an endless circle of baseball games, bike riding, tobogganing in the winter, and general childhood revelry with his 3 older siblings and next-door neighbors, the Francos, who had 11 children in their family. He moved across the country to attend the greatest college in the world, the University of Oregon. In college he spent some time studying, and a lot of time playing tennis, coaching Little League, selling Kirby vacuum cleaners, and watching the Ducks play football and basketball. Bob worked in the restaurant equipment industry for 36 years. He sold frozen yogurt machines and chicken rotisseries, food processors and meat slicers, blast chillers and refrigerators and ovens and proofers, and anything made out of stainless steel. When it came to work, Dad loved food and he loved helping people make it well, but mostly he just loved the people.
He met the love of his life Jacqueline Jean Smith, in 1980; they were married for 38 years. They raised their two children in Vancouver, Washington where Bob spent most of his spare time over the years involved youth sports. Through coaching recreation and select soccer, he impacted over 50 young people and their families. The Groher family years were full of soccer games and track meets and tennis, vacations to Sunriver, visits to family around the country, holidays and camping and boating with cousins, and always lots of lively and delicious meals.
In 2011 Bob and Jacque moved to Whidbey Island, where they loved and enjoyed their new community, walks along the dike to the beach, hosting parties and overnight guests from the mainland, and their three grandchildren, who arrived starting in 2012. He cooked them as many hot dogs and gave them as many root beer floats and popsicles as he possibly could.
Bob, with his ever-present mustache, was larger-than-life. He was a husband and father before anything else. He adored his grand-kids. He brought people together, he fed them, he made them laugh and he made them feel at home. He will be missed by his wife, Jacqueline (Smith), son Zachary Groher, daughter Alexandra (Groher) Allyne and son-in-law Justin Allyne, his three adored grandchildren, Silas, Audrey, and Henry, and by many friends and extended family members from the Groher, Smith, and Allyne families.
He met the love of his life Jacqueline Jean Smith, in 1980; they were married for 38 years. They raised their two children in Vancouver, Washington where Bob spent most of his spare time over the years involved youth sports. Through coaching recreation and select soccer, he impacted over 50 young people and their families. The Groher family years were full of soccer games and track meets and tennis, vacations to Sunriver, visits to family around the country, holidays and camping and boating with cousins, and always lots of lively and delicious meals.
In 2011 Bob and Jacque moved to Whidbey Island, where they loved and enjoyed their new community, walks along the dike to the beach, hosting parties and overnight guests from the mainland, and their three grandchildren, who arrived starting in 2012. He cooked them as many hot dogs and gave them as many root beer floats and popsicles as he possibly could.
Bob, with his ever-present mustache, was larger-than-life. He was a husband and father before anything else. He adored his grand-kids. He brought people together, he fed them, he made them laugh and he made them feel at home. He will be missed by his wife, Jacqueline (Smith), son Zachary Groher, daughter Alexandra (Groher) Allyne and son-in-law Justin Allyne, his three adored grandchildren, Silas, Audrey, and Henry, and by many friends and extended family members from the Groher, Smith, and Allyne families.
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