Ernst Rober

Ernst (Ernie) Rober, Born on June 29, 1935 in Geisecke, Germany, passed away suddenly in his home on Saturday, July 13, 2013. Predeceased by his Step daughter Audrey Davies in April 2000, he is survived by his loving wife of 44 years Marion, son Paul (Tami) Rober, Step children Louise Frayn, John (Lorraine) Ingalls, Barb Ingalls, Bev (Lester) Leer, Ken (Brenda) Ingalls, 17 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren. A devoted husband, father and provider, Ernie was a hard working, kind and generous man who touched the lives of all he met. He will be greatly missed by family and friends but the memories of him will live on in each and every one of us. There will be a celebration of life on August 14, 2013 at 2pm at the Salvation Army Citadel located at 4030 Douglas St, Victoria BC. Ernie was a bricklayer by trade and worked in the construction industry most of his life. He immigrated to Canada in 1956, arriving in Montreal he made his way across the country to Vancouver for a short while working various jobs, and then over to the floating logging camp in Holberg on the island before settling in Victoria. Working as a bricklayer at first, his hard work ethic and personality was soon recognized and he developed into a foreman then superintendant on many iconic buildings in Victoria. He was well respected by his peers and subordinates alike and he didnt mind telling you where you stood. He never had to raise his voice, just his eyebrows, and a stare that looked right through you, and then you knew he meant business. Despite Ernies sometimes gruff exterior, he had a big heart and was always there when needed. Some of Ernies happiest moments were when he was camping. Whether in the early years roughing it in a tent trailer to the times in the Winnebago motor home with all the amenities of home, he loved to enjoy the great outdoors. Often found in Jordan River (almost every weekend of the year), he was the self proclaimed mayor of the town befriending locals and other campers that frequented the site. It was his escape from the rest of the world. With his construction background, Ernie was always renovating the houses he lived in. He would spend many evenings after a full day of work fixing up and remodelling. He had great vision and was capable of performing tasks of all trades. Knocking a wall out here and putting a window there, he would transform ordinary rooms into cozy liveable spaces. He was so good in fact he was often asked by friends and family to give assistance on their projects. Although there was some muttering and grumbling, he really enjoyed lending a hand. After several years and a slowdown in construction, Ernie and Marion decided to buy a second hand antique store in Chemainus where they lived and worked for 6 years. Moving to Maple Bay after selling the store Ernie was not ready to retire so he took up a job working for payless gas at the tank farm which was soon taken over by Shell Canada. As a shell employee he was highly regarded by his coworkers and superiors for his hard work and dedication and despite his age doing a young mans job, he worked right up until the age of 71. During this time Ernie and Marion moved to Wilson Ave in Duncan where they spent many hours in their beautiful garden. He built a fish pond with a little waterfall and started building wooden wind mill figures which were scattered around the yard. As the yard work and maintenance became too much, they decided to move closer to family in Victoria where he spent the last four years. His dry sense of humour, teasing and knack for finding ways to exploit ones gullibility always made for good, fun entertainment. His wide Cheshire cat grin was infectious to all around and he made everyone around him feel welcome. He was an extraordinary man who will be deeply missed. May we all fill the void created by his absence with all the fond memories of his life and remember how he has touched ours.