Robert Muhlbach

1952 - 2017

Robert Louis "Bob" Muhlbach

Robert Louis "Bob" Muhlbach died Sunday, February 26, 2017, after a long struggle with cancer.   He was born on May 3, 1932, the fourth son of Dr. Arthur and Emma (Kloppel) Muhlbach of Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating high school at Baltimore City College in 1952, he was drafted into the army and served in the Korean War in Signal Communication Intelligence near the DMZ.

After his discharge in 1955, he returned to Baltimore and began his lifetime career in television.  He was hired at WAAM, now WJZ, as a cameraman and moved up to master control coordinator, then to producer director.  In 1957 He married Nancy Kooser Muhlbach, his wife of 59 years, whom he had met at Goucher College.

In 1959, soon after the birth of their daughter Katherine, the family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he worked at WQED, an educational television station.  Bob worked on junior high science lessons, industrial and medical television projects. During this time at WQED, he also attended the University of Pittsburgh where he received his BA in English and theatre arts in 1965.

In July of 1965 he accepted a job as producer director at KVZK -TV in American Samoa where he was part of a team under the auspices on the Department of the Interior.   The goal of the project was to train Samoans how to run a TV station and to teach elementary and high school students English as a second language. He became assistant production manager where his job was to supervise four studios, to oversee the crews, and to train Samoans in all aspects of producing TV lessons, which were sent to elementary schools, some of which were 15 hours away by boat.

In 1969 he returned to the states and began a 25-year career at MSU as production manager of closed circuit television.  He managed 4 studios and 6 channels, which were on the air simultaneously.  His job was to improve the quality of programming, and to encourage professors to move from the lecture format to using the TV medium to enhance their lessons.  The medical school began to use TV in the operating rooms and at the vet clinic.  He retired in 1994.

Bob's passion was music; he sang in the Edgewood Church's choir and the Gracewood singers for over forty years.  He was proud to have served his country in the military and knew all the days on which to fly the flag.  During the summer he enjoyed time with the family on Burt Lake on Talofa, his motorboat.  He loved the Chesapeake area and most of all eating blue crabs with his Maryland based family.

He is preceded in death by his parents; two beloved aunts; his brother Allan, who died in the Korean War, and his daughter, Katherine. He is survived his wife Nancy (Kooser); his brother, John Edward; his daughter, Gretchen (Couraud) Loic; grandchildren, Hadley and Margot; 8 nieces and nephew; 8 grandnieces and nephews; and 4 great-nephews.

Memorial Service will be help at Edgewood Church, UCC 469 N Hagadorn, East Lansing 48823 on March 25 at 11 AM followed by a luncheon. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Sparrow Hospice 1210 W Saginaw St, Lansing MI 48915, Edgewood Church or a cancer charity of your choice.