Adrian J Robie Sr.
July 17, 1947 - October 05, 2021
Memorial
A Memorial and Celebration of Life Service via ZOOM was held for Adrian Robie on November 6, 2021.
The memorial service was attended by over 800 people from at least 10 states.
A recording of the Memorial Service along with interviews of Adrian's friends is available to watch by clicking on the "Zoom Memorial" link below
The video slideshow that documents Adrian and his family's lives over the years is available to watch by clicking on the "Memorial Video" link below.
CLICK "More" for further information
Remembering Adrian
Adrian lead a full life as a devoted family man. He was also an honest business man who highly valued integrity.
Throughout his life he enjoyed travelling to many places.
His friends and family knew him as a man of few words who had a lot to say.
CLICK "More" to read his children's comments about their dad
Adrian's Life
The Story of Adrian's life in words.
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guestbook
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Memorial
A Memorial and Celebration of Life Service was held for Adrian Robie on November 6, 2021.
We thank everyone who joined us for this celebration of life service for your love and support
There is no greater pain than losing someone you love in death. It is unnatural and shocking.
1 Corinthians 15:26 makes this promise:
"And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing"
Death is man's enemy. Through Jesus Christ's ransom sacrifice he paved the way for us to overcome this deadly enemy.
That is why Jesus said at John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life"
We look forward to seeing Adrian resurrected back to life on this earth which was God's original purpose for all of mankind.
By means of God's heavenly kingdom arrangement, the earth will be restored to a global paradise. Mankind will become perfect. The conditions that we look forward to sharing with Adrian in the future are explained in scripture.
Revelation 21:4 "And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away"
Thank you for all of your kind words, prayers and tears as we cope with the shocking loss of our dearly loved husband, father, brother, grandfather and true friend.
Adrian did not want anyone to grieve for him or feel sorry for him in any way. He enjoyed his life and lived with no regrets. We have been truly blessed to have him in our life. And we look forward to seeing him again.
We pray for each of you that you will benefit from God's love and concern for each one of you. We echo the words of 2 Corinthians 1:3 which exclaims "Praised be the God and Father of our lord Jesus Christ. the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort."
The Robie Family
Adrian is survived by the love of his life, Leslie Ellen Robie, married 56 years of Buckeye, AZ
One son;
Adrian(Jay) John Robie Jr. & wife Lisa of Buckeye, AZ.
Three daughters;
Rachel Anne Robie & wife Julie
of Ashland, N.H.
Ginger Lee Bell & husband Chris
of Henderson, NV.
Olivia Lyn Robie
of Sacramento, Calif.
He also leaves behind three grandchildren;
Jaymes Bell of Henderson, NV.
Ariana Farris & Husband Reuben of Buckeye, AZ.
Jacob Robie of Buckeye, AZ.
Adrian is also survived by his four siblings;
Gaye Hodgdon of Tuftonboro, NH.
Rebecca Weeks of Canaan, NH.
Eugene Robie of Holderness, NH.
Veronica Malcolm of Plymouth, NH.
Adrian also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, as well as very close loyal friends and colleagues.
Remembering Adrian
(PHOTO was taken at funeral services for our Grandmother, Elaine Robie in 2009)
Adrian's friends and family knew him as a man of few words but who had a lot to say.
Dad in the words of his son Jay: Contact info (602.819.0834 Email Jay.robie@pgm-corp.com)
My dad instilled in me a very strong work ethic. The fortitude to never give up even when things became difficult. That along with my mother's spiritual guidance helped me to be the man I am today.
I remember something that has stuck with me for most of my life. I was about 10 years old and my mother was pregnant with my youngest sister Olivia. It was her custom to go to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses faithfully on Tuesday and Thursday nights and Sunday morning for spiritual education. We called them meetings.
My dad worked out of town at the time so he usually wasn't home on Tuesday and Thursdays. One Tuesday night he surprised us by coming home early. Mom did not go to the Kingdom Hall because she was feeling a little sick at the time. When my dad saw me he asked why I wasn't at the meeting? My reply was that mom wasn't feeling good so the whole family had to stay home. He then asked me "do you only go to the meetings because your mother does?"
My dad didn't care if I went to the meetings or not. His point was if you believe in something then do it. If you don't, then don't do it. It was simple to him.
I missed very few meetings after that!
Me and my dad became very good friends over many years. I tried to balance earning my dad's respect with following the spiritual example of my mother. I have devoted myself to the Christian faith and have served as an appointed elder or minister in my congregation for the past 26 years (thanks mom!).
I have also run a succesfull business using principles I learned from both of my parents.
I loved to talk to my dad about my business and my modest success and the sobering failures that I experienced over the years.
These were things I really couldn't talk about with most people.
As a business man my dad understood where I was coming from. I wanted him to be as proud of me as I was of him.
I hope I succeeded! Jay
Dad in the words of his daughter Rachel Contact info (603.998.7123 Email chefbeats22@gmail.com)
My Dad was a stand-up kinda guy. He lived with purpose and had a quiet strength about him that I admired.
No matter what direction life took me, my Dad still had my back…. even if it came with a lecture. lol
My Dad had a strong work ethic, and undoubtably he (and my Mom) made great sacrifices for all of us to have the things we needed.
Both my parents came from humble beginnings and worked hard to make a good life for themselves and us kids. I was, and still am, very fortunate to have such great role models in my life.
Life isn’t always easy, being raised with qualities of responsibility, compassion, generosity, humility, and self-discipline enabled me to overcome obstacles in my own life.
When my folks were in town, I always enjoyed stopping by the garage to chat about life or work.
My Dad was passionate about his work. He’d get going on stories of jobs he’d done, and though he was a man of few words, if you got him going, he’d tell stories for hours. lol…. More than he talked … he listened…and I am forever grateful that I had his wisdom to guide me through some of lifes tough challenges.
My Dad had this thing about sending postcards from places he traveled or just to say HI. I will miss those letters and postcards a lot.
Mostly, I will miss his humor and wit. His understanding and love, and his calm words of wisdom.
I feel blessed to have had the privilege of calling him Dad.
Dad in the words of his daughter Ginger Contact info (602.849.2947 Email hulaginger@gmail.com)
My Dad (and Mom) have been an integral part of my life and I will always be thankful for this special relationship, although it makes this loss almost unbearable. My life will not be the same without him and I will miss him intensely until I see him again.
My dad was not always good at expressing his feelings through words.. However, there was never a time in my life that I did not feel loved by my dad. He was a strong and steady influence in my life, combined with someone who was so softhearted and generous.
So many times throughout my life people were afraid of my dad and saw him as gruff and tough, but as his daughter what I saw was a big soft teddy bear. I felt unconditional love from my dad, and I knew without a doubt he would always have my back. He saw the best in me and we would laugh about the worst... often he would laugh a little more than me LOL.
His example of overcoming so many challenges in his life, and standing by my mom and his kids despite how hard it may have been at times, has truly inspired in me so much respect and admiration for this man.
My parents outstanding example of love and loyalty has given me the strength throughout my life to make decisions that have not always been easy and to not be afraid to stand up for what I believe in. This is an amazing gift that my dad has given me.
My gratitude is endless as to how he loved me, my husband and my son, and how he took care of my mom for 56 years. I will miss him more than words can express, but will hold tight to the wonderful memories of good times and wait patiently until I see that beautiful smile again.
I love you Dad
Dad in the words of his daughter Olivia Contact Info (530.921.8525 Email orobie76@gmail.com)
It took me a while to write my thoughts about my Dad.
Not because I didn’t have any, but because there are so many things that come to mind, and I just could not find the words to do him justice.
Whenever I described my Dad to people, I would say he was not a word waster. Although he loved to talk and tell stories to the right people and in the right places, he had a quiet nature with a profound presence, and when he spoke, people would listen. I have never met another man like my father, and as I got older, I understood how fortunate I was to be his daughter.
Even though I grew taller than him, I always looked up to him.
During an existential crisis I was having one time, I remember calling my Dad in need of some enlightened advice. I had asked him if he had ever thought about the meaning of life and why we were here. I was so disappointed when he said, “No, I am too busy living my life; I have other things to think about, like running my business and taking care of my family.”
It was not until years later that I understood how meaningful his response was.
My Dad was simply a good man with a big heart, and I will keep him forever in mine.
Adrian's Life
Adrian John Robie Sr. born in Wolfeboro, N.H., on July 17, 1947 to John Curry and Elaine Haley.
He lived his early years in Melvin Village and Plymouth NH.
His biological father was mostly absent throughout all of his life but his mother took great pride in her oldest son.
In 1955, Adrian moved to Plymouth where his mother married Ken
Robie. Adrian was adopted into the Robie family along with two of his sisters, Gaye and Becky. He would later have two more siblings, Eugene and Veronica. His relationship with his stepfather was tenuous at best. As a result he moved in with his grandmother and was on his own by the time he was in his late teens.
When he was in his teens and long into his adult years, Adrian enjoyed writing songs and poems for his own enjoyment, some of them he shared with his family. One time, when he was about nine years old, he wrote a song lyric that he decided to mail in to some music company that put an add out for song lyrics. The song he wrote greatly resembled the Chubby Checker song "The Twist" that was released in 1958 by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and later picked up by Chubby Checker. Sadly, he received no royalties for this popular tune 😎. Great story!
In 1964 Adrian met Leslie Weeks, who in 1965 became his partner for life.
Adrian got into construction at an early age, working briefly for his uncle as a teenager, and then with his father in-law as a young adult for Seward Construction.
Adrian had four children from 1966 through 1976. One son and three daughters, Jay, Rachel, Ginger and Olivia.
In 1979 he started his own construction business at the age of 32 called Adrian General Construction. He put in everything from roads and foundations to septic systems and apartment complexes. He was one of the few blasting contractors in New Hampshire known for it's ubiquitous granite. His son remembers sitting atop jackhammers and operating drill rigs to set charges in the hardened stone.
In 1978 Adrian bought his first home on Smith Bridge Road in Plymouth New Hampshire for about $34,000.
He bought his second home on the "Tadadump" road in Holderness New Hampshire sometime in 1987.
In 1993 he developed a large condo complex on a 385,000 square foot hillside lot. The road into the complex is named Adrian's way. The principal financer of the complex (Dick Hanaway) chose the name for the road because he said "Adrian always got his way".
Adrian established himself as a man of honesty and integrity. As a result, his business flourished, making him a well-respected member of his community.
People that knew him well understood that he would not work for just anybody. If you were a bigshot flatlander driving your high Falutin Suburban or Denali, you had better have a been recommended by someone that he accepted as a good recommendation. Otherwise you would never get a call back or be taken seriously. No, not in New Hampsha!
Adrian often took money off of his bill for services if he felt the homeowner was in need of his generosity. Even if this was at the expense of his own best interests. He had a soft spot in his heart for people who were humble and stretched a little thin.
After retirement, he moved to Buckeye Arizona in November of 2018. He drove across the country in the car he got from his good friend Bob Dragon who passed away earlier that year.
Adrian was a big supporter of his family. He attended all their graduations and special events.
While Adrian did not have a true father figure in his life he became that to his own children. He never complained about his childhood. But it was evident, especially later in his life, that he worked hard (not perfectly) to be a present dad to his own children.
He was truly devoted and faithful to his wife Leslie for more than 56years.
The Robie family grieves the loss of their husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend whose indomitable spirit will live on in their hearts and memories.
Dear dad: May God remember your good works. We always will!
"For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your good work ..." Hebrews 6:10
guestbook
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