Robert F. Gaus, Sr.

ROBERT F. GAUS, SR., age 88, of Brecksville passed away at home on May 21, 2024. Known to friends and family as Bob or Buck, Robert was born on April 22, 1936 to Carl and Margaret (Beyer) Gaus in Johnstown, PA. He was the youngest of nine children and a 1954 graduate of Johnstown Catholic High School.

His life of work and service began at a very young age, delivering newspapers and at times being excused from school to dig graves with family members at St. Joseph Cemetery in Johnstown, PA. Immediately following high school graduation Robert took the train to Cleveland, starting work as an intern with the George Worthington Company. Shortly thereafter he Joined the U.S. Army where he proudly served with the 82nd Airborne Division, completing 26 jumps. After his military service Robert returned to Johnstown to marry and start a family, accepting employment with Saylor Brothers Hardware. His experience there built a foundation of amazing mechanical, repair and construction skills. After business hours at the hardware Robert toiled into the night to self-build the family's first home.

Most of Robert's adult life was spent working in the steel industry for refractory products manufacturer Quigley Company and its successor Minteq International. This career job took him away from Pennsylvania in 1970 to Wheelersburg, OH, where he raised his three children. Career advancement from steel mill service laborer to sales professional triggered a relocation to northeastern Ohio in 1986.

Robert was involved with the Kindred Journey Haiti Charity, working many fundraising events and subsequently making several trips to the Central Plateau region of Haiti, supporting delivery of heavy equipment used for the construction of lakes and installation of refrigeration units needed for meat processing. In his retirement, Robert also volunteered with Tract Trekkers in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a group that hikes and maintains markers at the park boundaries.

Robert is survived by wife Barbara, children Robert Gaus Jr., Lori (Robert) Blonchek and Arnold (Megan) Gaus, and siblings Raymond Gaus and Mary Bassett.  He is also survived by grandchildren Stephanie Blonchek, Jonathon (Catherine) Blonchek, Maribeth Blonchek, Joshua Gaus and Abigail (Thomas) Wolf, and great grandchildren Owen Blonchek, Edmund Blonchek and Aurora Wolf.

Preceding him in death were brothers Carl, James, John, Bede, Edward, and Rev. Msgr. Arnold.

Robert loved his grandchildren who describe him as steady, stubborn, principled and entertaining. He was dedicated to supporting family, rarely missing a family gathering. He enjoyed dining out with a seat at the bar, going to air shows, being the first to clear snow on a winter morning and maintaining the greenest lawn in the neighborhood. Undoubtedly he was among the hardest-working men of his generation. He will be missed and remembered with great fondness.

The family will receive friends at Nosek-McCreery Funeral Home, 8150 Brecksville Rd., Brecksville, Ohio 44141 on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 from 5-8 pm. Robert's Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, May 30, 2024 at Church of the Assumption, 9183 Broadview Rd., Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147 at 10:30 am. (PLEASE MEET AT CHURCH). Interment with military funeral honors at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman, Ohio will immediately follow Church services.

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