Robert "Bob" Niebrugge

1939 - 2018

Robert "Bob" Niebrugge passed away on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, after a 50-plus-year battle with diabetes.
Bob was born in Detroit, Mich., on May 22, 1939, and raised in San Diego, Calif. He was the only child of Chet and Claudia Niebrugge. Growing up, Bob was an exceptional athlete, outdoorsman and an Eagle Scout.
He graduated high school in 1958, and attended Occidental College on a full academic scholarship, where he majored in physics and also played wide receiver for the football team. Upon graduation, Bob worked as an aerospace engineer for General Dynamics working on the Gemini and F 1-11 projects. He married his wife of 57 years, Gail, in 1961.
During this time, he was an active member of the Lakeside Sportsman Club. He was a competitive trap shooter at the local and national level, winning many events.
Bob and Gail moved their family to Alaska in 1976. Bob purchased the Glennallen Tastee Freez and operated it for more than 17 years. Bob had a profound effect on the community, employing countless young people with their first jobs and being a major contributor to the schools and community. He loved to hunt and fish and could be often found at his favorite fishing hole on the Klutina at "4 Mile."
Bob served the State in the creation of ACHIA, Alaska Comprehensive Health Insurance Act, for those who were denied health insurance due to pre-existing conditions.
Bob and Gail moved to the Mat-Su Valley in 1994. He always had his loving dog, Princess, by his side or on his lap as he enjoyed life at his home on the shores of Finger Lake.
Bob is survived by his wife, Gail Niebrugge; his son, Ron Niebrugge of Seward, Alaska; and his daughter, Tawny Buck of Anchorage, Alaska. He also leaves behind daughter-in-law, Janine Niebrugge; and son-in-law, Robert Buck; and three grandchildren, Quincy, Reilly and Sydney Buck.
A celebration of life will be held in the spring.