David Alan Roblin, beloved husband and father, of Holland, Michigan passed away Sunday, May 17th at American House of Holland after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Dave will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by his beloved children, Lynne and Jonathan.
Born in Troy, NY in 1933, Dave was the son of the late John Hopper Roblin and Sarah Mackay Roblin. He graduated from Troy High School and attended Princeton before leaving to join the Army in 1954. He returned home to Troy after his service to marry Elise Ives in December of 1956. He returned to Princeton with Elise after their marriage, and then finished his degree in Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
While working for New York State at OGS, Dave was introduced to a moveable partition office system developed by Wayne Vaughan and, throughout his career, followed that product through various companies in Connecticut, Indiana, and Texas, before ending up with Herman Miller in Holland, Michigan.
Throughout his life, Dave loved his dogs, golf, bowling, camping and fishing especially in the Adirondacks, taking care of all the neighborhood birds (and squirrels), and all kinds of music, from The Chieftains, to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Alison Krauss, and whale songs, Dave listened to it all and took great pride in choosing his daily dinnertime soundtracks. He could turn his hand to almost any kind of home improvement or repair project, large or small, with work that was always meticulous and beautiful. Dave loved to travel and was a talented photographer giving the same care to creating beautiful photos that he gave to everything. The most cherished thing in his life, however, was his family and the time that he spent with his wife and children.
Dave was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 63 years, Elise, and is survived by his children, Lynne and Jonathan, and his brother Jack (Vivian) Roblin, niece Maria (Britt) Perkins and great nieces and nephews. His family cannot begin to express the gratitude they have for the staff at American House for their comforting and loving care of both Dave and his family. They would also like to thank Hospice of Holland for their caring support in the last months of Dave’s life. Keeping in mind the current difficulties in the country, the family will hold a memorial service to celebrate Dave’s life in Holland at a later date, and a private burial service will be held at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, NY. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Dave to Blue Lake Public Radio (https://donate.bluelake.org/radio), Tyson’s Place Animal Rescue (PO Box 228, Jamestown, MI 49427), or Hospice of Holland (270 Hoover Blvd., Holland, MI 49423).
