John Curran
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 10, 2007

TUKTOYAKTUK - Approximately 500 people from around the North and beyond travelled to Tuktoyaktuk recently to celebrate the life of Robert "Bobby" Gruben.

One of the co-founders of E. Gruben Transport, as well as a skilled hunter and fisherman, he lost his battle with his deteriorating health conditions late last month.

Bobby Gruben, 66, passed away last month after a decade-long deterioration of his health. He is seen here with his son Merven, left, at the summit of the gondola in Banff, Alta. - photo courtesy of Merven Gruben

Bobby Gruben had his first heart attack in 1996 and developed diabetes shortly afterwards.

"For the past 10 years his health had continued to go downhill," said his son, Merven Gruben.

An avid cigar smoker almost right up until the end, Bobby Gruben held fast to his beliefs.

"He always said if you can't enjoy life, it's not worth living," his son added while wiping his eyes.

But the story of Bobby Gruben's life really reads in two parts, the entrepreneur and the outdoorsman.

"I'm an office guy," said Merven Gruben. "He was so rare, he was good at both."

Born in 1941 at Brock River, he co-founded E. Gruben's Transport with his father Eddie Gruben in the 1950s.

"They worked for the RCMP fishing, trapping and transporting supplies," said Merven Gruben. "Eventually they made enough money to buy a Bombardier, then another and it just kept growing."

As the business grew, Bobby Gruben settled in as a mechanic - often working outside in harsh Arctic conditions.

Today walking around the Tuktoyaktuk Development Corporation's industrial camp, which is operated by Gruben's, it's easy to see safety is the top concern. But it wasn't always that way, admitted Merven Gruben.

"I can remember my dad was working on an engine out in the garage when he came crawling into the house," he said.

"The transmission had fallen off and landed right on his chest.

"Those weigh 400 to 500 pounds, I don't know how it didn't crush him - he was just so strong."

Today the firm has 118 pieces of equipment and employs 60 people full-time. That jumps to as many as 200 during the busy winter transportation season.

It has been quite some time, however, since Bobby Gruben was active in the day-to-day operations.

"As we grew and got more people he decided to stay away from the office and spent most of his time out hunting and fishing."

Every spring the Grubens would head out to the Husky Lakes together to go caribou hunting.

"It was just our family and we'd get 60 caribou," he said. "It would be enough to feed us for months."

Retirement also gave him a chance to dedicate more time to his strong Catholic faith. He started doing a lot of work for the church in the community.

"He even went to Rome to see the Pope."

Merven Gruben said his father's funeral was the largest he can remember ever happening in Tuk and it was a gathering Bobby Gruben would have appreciated.

"He was never gloomy, but always upbeat," he said.

The service was the same way, with people taking time out to remember the man who had made such a difference in their lives and with whom they had shared so many laughs and adventures.

"He would have liked it," he said. "He touched so many people's lives and they all came out to say thanks."