Robert Loebl

Robert (Bob) Loebl passed away peacefully on August 18, 2019 in Holland, MI following a brief illness.

Bob was born in Boston, MA but spent most of his childhood in Waukesha, WI. He briefly attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison before entering the navy as a lieutenant toward the end of World War II. Following the war, Bob returned to the University of Wisconsin where he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After college, Bob taught at Norwich University in Northfield, VT and at Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN. He married Annie, the love of his life, in 1951 and accepted a position with American Standard in Detroit, MI. He quickly worked his way up the corporate ladder to Chief Engineer and eventually was put in charge of a division in Columbus, Ohio. After two years, Bob left American Standard to begin a career with Lear Siegler Incorporated (LSI). Bob served as the president of LSI divisions in Los Angeles and Denver before eventually running the Home Division in Holland, MI and the Mammoth Division in Minneapolis, MN. He retired from LSI only to go back to school to become a financial consultant.

An avid tennis player, Bob also enjoyed golf, bridge, cooking, entertaining, and landscaping. He often stated he wished he’d become an architect because he loved to re-design and decorate the 14 homes he and his family lived in over the years. In retirement, he and Anne spent 7 months out of the year in Green Valley, AZ where they developed lasting friendships and spent many evenings listening to German music, the Wisconsin and Notre Dame Fight songs, and watching the sun set over the mountains.

Bob was proud of his German heritage and through the years, he and Anne made multiple trips to Germany and the surrounding countries. A member of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church and St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Green Valley, Arizona, Bob attended mass faithfully every week.

Bob is survived by his adored wife of 68 years, Anne; his daughter, Liz (Jim) Colburn; son-in-law, Dale Ching; grandchildren, Jon (Nikki) Ching; Anne (Shaun) Griffin; Chris Ching; Katie, Kelsey, and Jamie Colburn; and great grandchildren Jocelyn, Jia, Jaxon, and Jolie Ching; Sophia, Alex, Evelyn, and Luella Griffin; Anne’s brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Pat Kingston, and several very special nieces and nephews.

Bob is predeceased by his cherished daughter, Judi Loebl Ching; his parents, Herman and Helen Loebl; siblings and their spouses, Helen (Russell) Schuetze; Herman (June) Loebl; Frank Loebl and Johnny Loebl as well as his nephew, John Loebl.

The family wishes to thank the friends and family who supported and surrounded them with love during Bob’s recent illness as well as the Holland Hospital and Appledorn North Assisted Living staff, and Hospice of Holland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hope College TRIO Upward Bound Scholarship Fund or Hospice of Holland.

A funeral mass will be held at 2:00 pm, Saturday, August 31, 2019 at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 171 West 13th Street in Holland. Father Charlie Brown will be officiating. Burial will be in Vermont.

Visitation will be from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are by Dykstra Funeral Home – Mulder Chapel.