Robert P. Lofblad Jr., 80

Robert P. Lofblad Jr., 80

GILFORD — Robert Paul Lofblad Jr. died on Jan. 31, 2017. He was 80 years old.

Bob was predeceased by his wife, Barbara Ryan Lofblad; and his oldest child, Michael Christopher Lofblad.

He is survived by his sister, Anne Stevens; his four children, Corey Lofblad, Bob Lofblad, Carolyn Twitchell, Kristin Sullivan; daughter-in-law Pam Lofblad; son-in-law Kevin Twitchell; son-in-law Jim Sullivan; and many grandchildren.

Bob grew up in Garden City, New York, and attended Georgia Institute of Technology. He later received his master's degree in aeronautical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an MBA from Stanford University. He actually was a "rocket scientist."

First meeting in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Bob and Barbara were married for more than 50 years. They started their family in California then moved back east when the kids were young, raising their children in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, with weekends spent in Gilford — summers on Lake Winnipesaukee and winters on the slopes of Gunstock. In retirement, they spent more and more time in Florida, though family holidays were still mostly held at New Hampshire's "Camp Dockham."

Although he held management positions at various companies early in his career, Bob's life work came about through what began as a small side business he started called Corob — a combination of the names of his two sons, Corey and Bobby. Though Corob never grew large in size, it was large in impact, both as the market leader in its product space and more importantly affording opportunities for the many people who worked for him over the years.

One of the positive bi-products of running his own business was the flexibility it provided to travel widely, from family trips to Disney World when the kids were young, to road trips to Florida and back each year as Bob and Barbara got older, to cruises and other excursions around the country and around the world. Their passports were well worn, their photo albums were full.

Whether known as Grandpa to the older ones or Bumpa to the younger ones, Bob was much loved and will be missed by his nine grandchildren, Siobhan, Olivia, and Ian Lofblad, Katie and Carter Lofblad, Ryan, Grace, and Evan Twitchell, and Matthew Sullivan.

While family, education, business, travel, and helping others were all part of who Bob was, the list of attributes would be incomplete without mentioning possibly his greatest passion: Golf. Bob was a fantastic golfer who played regularly and practiced even more. A "scratch" golfer, he was the recipient of many, many tournament awards and got a hole-in-one, not once, but twice.

Calling hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, at St. Andre Bessette Parish-Sacred Heart Church, 291 Union Ave., Laconia. Burial will be held in the spring in the family plot at St. Lambert Cemetery in Laconia.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation in Bob's memory to the National Stroke Association, 9707 East Easter Lane, Suite B, Centennial, CO 80112 or at (http://www.stroke.org).

Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.