Obituaries

It is with great sadness to announce that Gary Joseph Robb passed away at home from liver and kidney failure on December 21, 2021. He was surrounded by a loving family, a glowing Christmas tree, and a beautifully lit fireplace.

Gary is preceded in death by his brother Jim Robb and survived by his daughter Jessica (& Jaime Morales), wife Valerie Robb, brother Rick Tabit (& Vallerie Tabit) and several nieces.

Gary was born January 10, 1953 to Elaine (Kunik) and Maxwell Robb in Long Beach, CA. He spent his early life growing up in Seattle, WA after spending 2 years in Japan where his father was stationed in the Army.  He had many adventures with his brother Jim. Gary and Jim were only one year apart and were very close; they were truly best friends.  He recalled wanting to feed the neighbor’s chickens in Japan but all he and his brother could find was crushed red pepper – so they sprinkled that into the chicken coop and when the chickens started eating it there was a huge ruckus, the boys ran away quickly so as not to get caught.  They had a cat named Bongo who came into the house soaking wet one day, so they decided to help him dry off by tossing him in the dryer (Elaine rescued him just in time!).  Another time the two boys took their fishing poles and went fishing at one of the water reservoirs in Seattle – they caught no fish and decided it was not a good fishing spot.

Later in adolescence, Gary and Jim found themselves in a variety of foster homes.  Some memories were tough, others were life changing in a positive way.  Gary often spoke of living on a farm in Port Orchard, where he learned how to hunt, and they did a lot of fishing; these activities would become a lifelong passion for both Jim and Gary.

The foster care system presented many challenges to the brothers, however, Gary was determined to work hard in school and obtain good grades.  He graduated from Redmond High School in 1971 and was thrilled to be accepted to Washington State University where his brother was also studying.  Gary obtained a Visual Communications degree from Washington State University in 1978 after taking some time off from his studies to save money for college.  He joined many young students as well as his brother Jim and worked at the silver mines in the Silver Valley of Wallace, Idaho.  It was a great place to meet new people and make a nice living in a bustling mountain town.  He and his brother continued to have many adventures including hunting, playing on softball teams, mining, and meeting lots of new friends including meeting his first wife, Jessica, who he married in 1977.

In 1981 Gary and Jess welcomed their first and only daughter Jessica to the world.  Although the marriage ended, Gary worked hard to be a part of Jessica’s life as she grew up.  Even in her 30’s and 40’s he always referred to her as ‘his little girl’. As his health deteriorated, one of his biggest goals was to live long enough to walk her down the aisle for her wedding – this goal was achieved in June 2010.

After college Gary worked as an insurance salesperson and became a regional manager.  When mergers eliminated his position, he transitioned to selling windows for many years and then settled down in Wenatchee, WA working as a salesperson for electrical wholesale equipment – visiting the dams, lumber mills, and fruit processing plants in the area.

In 2004 Gary moved to Seattle to be closer to his medical team.  In 2005, Gary met his perfect match, Valerie, and married her in 2008.  They were able to enjoy 16 years together making awesome memories in their home in Redmond, WA.  Many summers were spent at their waterfront cabin in Bellingham, WA. Traveling was one of their favorite things to do together along with watching the Mariners.  Gary and Valerie loved Christmas so much that they collected tree ornaments from each place they visited on vacation.  You can find memories on their decorated tree from Hawaii, Alaska, California, Mexico, New York, Maine, Florida and Arizona.

Also in 2005, Gary met his older brother Rick.  Rick was living in Florida and had been adopted as a baby.  Rick spent years tracking down his birth information and found that Gary’s mother was also his birth mother.  Gary and Valerie flew to Florida to meet Rick and his wife Vallerie.  Gary appreciated getting to know Rick and Val – speaking with them on the telephone from across the country and having occasional visits including one family gathering at Thanksgiving.

Despite his health limitations, Gary made the most of what he had and never missed an opportunity to make a witty joke.  He spent much time in clinics and hospitals in the last years of his life, however, he always made sure to point out the positive even when he wasn’t feeling positive.  His doctors and nurses always mentioned how great Gary’s sense of humor was and how much they enjoyed him as a patient.  He always found a way to make someone’s day a bit brighter.

No public memorial service will be held.  Please post in the Guestbook here if you have anything to share and this will serve as a virtual memorial to our beloved Gary.