Robert Ellis Grubb

Robert Ellis Grubb, 89, of Zanesville, Ohio, passed away peacefully at his home on March 10, 2026. Born on April 2, 1936, in Crooksville, Ohio, he was the firstborn son of Gerald Grubb and Luella Walsh Grubb Goodman. In 1942, Bob moved with his family to Akron, where his father ran a milk route, before returning to the Zanesville area, which remained his home for the rest of his life. He attended Pioneer School and graduated from Lash High School in 1954.

That same year, Bob met the love of his life, Shirlee Lea Atkinson. They married on January 15, 1955, and shared a devoted partnership for 70 years until her passing on March 8, 2025. Together they raised three children: sons Randall and Steven, born in 1957 and 1959, and daughter Leanne Michele, born in 1968. Heartbroken after losing his wife and best friend, Bob’s health declined exactly one year later. Surrounded by his three children and daughters-in-law, he passed peacefully two days after telling his family he was ready to be reunited with Shirlee.

Bob lived a full and adventurous life marked by a strong work ethic that began at age ten when he delivered newspapers by bicycle throughout Zanesville. He worked at a mechanic’s garage as a teenager, then at Buckeye Supply Co., where he gained valuable fabrication and mechanical skills. In 1961, he and his father founded The Custom Trailer Shop, building and repairing trailers from their garage on Van Buren Street. Bob and Shirlee later owned the 7th Street Marathon Gas Station for more than a decade, working alongside their sons. In 1977, Bob purchased the trailer business outright and moved it to Madison Street, eventually relocating and rebranding it as Grubb Hitch Center in 1990. He continued the work he loved until retiring in 2011.

Retirement allowed Bob and Shirlee to become snowbirds, spending winters at their home in Buttonwood Bay Resort in Sebring, Florida. They cherished their many road trips across the country with family, especially their grandchildren, and Bob was known for his spontaneous Sunday drives to explore new places. He was a kind-hearted man with a quick wit and a pleasant personality that endeared him to everyone. Above all, he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who was deeply loved by his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gerald and Luella, and stepmother Alice; his wife Shirlee Lea; his sisters Juanita Mae Paxson and Shirley Ann Rice and her husband Gene; his father-in-law Roy H. “Shod” Atkinson Sr.; his mother-in-law Melba Ora Atkinson; his sister-in-law Georgianna Garber; and his brother-in-law Roy H. Atkinson Jr.

Bob is survived by his children Randall Robert (Linda Dolen) Grubb, Steven Kent (Debi Rollins) Grubb, and Leanne Michele Grubb (Todd Faris); his brother Richard (Pat) Grubb; his sister Geraldine Wos; his sister-in-law Margaret Page; his nephew Ted Garber; and his beloved dog Chelsee. He was a proud grandfather to seven grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, each of whom held a special place in his heart.