Robert "Bob" S. Lerch

Robert “Bob” S. Lerch, 88, of LeRaysville, PA, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2026, due to a series of long illnesses, surrounded by the family he loved.

Born on June 4, 1937, in Doylestown, PA, to Paul O. Lerch and Dorothy Shaddinger Lerch, Bob was raised with a deep respect for hard work and the land, values which shaped the course of his life. He spent most of his life as a farmer and as the founder and owner of the Dark Hollow Shooting Preserve, a business he established in 1967 in Tinicum Township, PA. The preserve drew hunters and game enthusiasts from across the country, and for Bob it was never just a business; it was an extension of his stewardship of the land, his love of the outdoors, and his love of building community and collaboration around local agriculture. 

In 1956, he married Francis “Frannie” Hickey Lerch. Together they built a life marked by devotion, resilience, and partnership, celebrating sixty-two years of marriage until Frannie’s passing in 2018. Shortly after marrying, they settled in Tinicum Township, PA, near the banks of the Delaware River in Bucks County, and started their family of five children: David, Patricia, William, Stephen, and Kevin. In 1970, Bob and the family moved to Montrose, PA, relocating the Dark Hollow preserve to Susquehanna County, where Bob and Frannie built the business, raised the family, and remained for twenty-four wonderful years. 

In May, 1994, Bob, Frannie, and David moved to LeRaysville, PA and began dairy farm operations with the Dairylea Cooperative. Over the course of almost twenty-five years, the Lerch farm produced millions of pounds of raw milk for wholesale buyers in Pennsylvania and New York State. The family took great pride in their farm, their husbandry, their respect for the land, and their bucolic experience in Bradford County’s “god’s country.” To step on the farm meant eating sun-ripened fruits and vegetables, watching the cattle herd through green pastures, taking a stroll to see the magnificent stone quarries, sitting on the front porch with Bob and telling stories. He shared his bounty with his family and anyone in need.

Above all, Bob was a family and community man; his life in quietude. He believed in showing up: in providing, in teaching, in loving. His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren knew him as a man of great strength, deep loyalty, and unwavering commitment. The fields he worked and the preserve he built stand as a testament to his work ethic, but the family he raised is his truest accomplishment. He will be sorely missed.

Bob is survived by four children: David Lerch (LeRaysville, PA); William Lerch and his wife, Mariann Lerch (Wadsworth, IL); Stephen Lerch and his wife, Sunny Lerch (Fort Worth, TX); and Kevin Lerch and his wife, Bonnie Lerch (Montrose, PA). 

He is also survived by twelve grandchildren (and their respective spouses); and two great-grandchildren: Kelly Arndt (Jeremy Arndt), Jeffrey Robinson (Jonathan Barbato), Samantha Moore (Philip Moore), Nicholas Robinson, Brian Pilholski, Pamela Lerch, Kate Jade Smith (Wesley Smith), Susannah Woodham (Gabe Woodham), Timothy Lerch, Jonathan Lerch, Brandi Lerch (Brent Ott), and Christi Lerch; Alex Arndt, and Riley Arndt.

Finally, he is survived by his son-in-law: Christopher Robinson and his wife, Denise Robinson (Montrose, PA), as well as nieces, nephews, and friends who will carry his memory forward.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Dorothy Lerch; his sisters, Sylvia Lerch Becker, and Joan Lerch Banard; his beloved wife, Francis Lerch; and, his daughter, Patricia Lerch Robinson.

A service to honor Bob’s life will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 5:00-7:00PM at the Daniel K. Regan Funeral Home in Montrose, PA. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, also at the Daniel K. Regan Funeral Home in Montrose, PA, starting at 11:00AM, with a service at the Montrose Cemetery to follow.

I'm going out to clean the pasture spring;I'll only stop to rake the leaves away(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):I shan't be gone long. You come too.-Robert Frost