Robert Alan Holbach

Robert Alan Holbach bid farewell to a life-well-lived with two of his favorite things by his side, his beloved wife Bonnie and a generous pour of bourbon on ice.

Devoted. Funny. Kind. Irreverent. Loving. Witty. A gentle soul with a wicked sense of humor. The life of the party. Words are inadequate. Words are insufficient. Yet words are all we have right now.

Born in Houston, Texas he spent his formative years in Glen Burnie, Maryland with his younger brothers Tom, Bill and Jim, younger sisters Mary Elizabeth and Sharon and his late parents, Betty and Al who he always swore loved him best. He spent his last 38 years in Florida, where he worked as a County Administrator and Director of Public Works enjoying all the amenities Florida has to offer with Bonnie like kayaking, fishing and time in Sanibel.

Alan spent a year at the Naval Academy before hightailing it to what he considered a much safer environment - serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He was on leave back in Glen Burnie judging neighborhood Christmas decorations when he met the love of his life. On their first date Alan told Bonnie he was going to marry her. She promptly dropped a dish of Moo Goo Gai Pan in her lap, excused herself to use the payphone and called everyone she knew to come pick her up. Luckily for Alan, a looming snowstorm kept all would-be rescuers away that evening. So he spent the rest of that night and the next 52 years that followed, trying his best to show his love for her.

The Holbach kids were very close-knit and known for their shenanigans and frequent ER visits. Whether doing it to themselves like the time in his 20s when Alan accidentally shot himself in the stomach. Or to each other, like during the war when Alan made his brother Jim zipline from his aircraft carrier to Alan's oiler in the middle of the ocean just so they could talk for a few minutes. There were other death defying feats like when Alan forgot Bonnie's name during their wedding vows and called her "what's her name." Or the time he genuinely believed it was a good decision to surprise Bonnie with a pressure washer for Christmas.

Despite all the years of recklessness, it was Alan's huge heart that got him in the end, most likely due to exhaustion from a lifetime of overuse. Alan showed his love in ways both big and small to every person he encountered, whether it was a grocery store clerk or his friends and family. He valued working with those less fortunate than himself, volunteering at jails and free clinics (he even became a pharmacy tech in his 70s) as well as service with the United Way and as a Rotarian. He would drop everything to be there for his friends and family. He was a devoted father to his two children, Jennifer and Christopher and their spouses Evan and Jenn. Never missing games, sleeping on the floor of a dorm room when they had their wisdom teeth pulled or offering solicited (and just as often, unsolicited) advice. Even last week, he was nagging...er helpfully suggesting Jennifer take her car in for service. He was so proud of his five grandchildren Dylan, Sydney (with whom he shared a birthday), Riley, Etta and Laly. He relished every opportunity to spend with them, and when he couldn't see them in person they shared frequent facetime calls. Despite his recurring (yet hilarious) struggle to correctly operate the front facing camera, if heard even a passing mention of the kids or grandkids wanted or needed, without fail a few days later a package would arrive containing that very thing.

Although Alan's big heart beats no more, he will live on forever in the hearts of his family, friends, and friends who became family during the 75 years we were fortunate enough to share with him. In lieu of flowers we ask that you perform some small act of kindness to help fill the giant void left by his absence. Some suggestions from Alan's life are bringing candy to the receptionist at the doctor's office, donating blood, striking up a conversation with a stranger in an elevator, making a financial donation to a food bank and volunteering your time with a local charity.