Massive-hearted motorbike lover leaves legacy of caring for other folks | A Daily life Remembered

The legacy of his lifelong passions — helping many others and riding motorcycles — carries on to ripple by means of Waynesboro and bordering spots.

Joann Stouffer laughs when she recalls conference her foreseeable future spouse — they’d both been out with good friends — and how that probability come upon turned into 36 several years of relationship.

Two factors were being nonnegotiable proper from the start — bikes and an once-a-year hunting vacation with good friends — but it was not a dilemma, she mentioned.

“When I satisfied him, I didn’t even really know what a motorbike seemed like, but we went using together and ultimately I received my very own bicycle. He produced me a rebel, I guess you could say,” she said.

Even though he contracted COVID-19 and died soon after returning property from this year’s searching journey to Kaycee, Wyo., Stouffer stated her late spouse understood the pitfalls and was organized to face them.

“He’d finished that trip for 40 many years to hunt antelope and mule deer. But this year they went to Mount Rushmore simply because one particular of his pals had by no means noticed it, and he said it was seriously crowded with no just one wearing a mask, although we definitely never know specifically the place he acquired the virus,” she explained.

“It is a tragedy, due to the fact Bobby loved daily life so a great deal and always gave his all to all people. This trip was a excellent instance of that, and of how lots of persons have memories with him,” she stated.

Relatives users prepare to honor his wish to have his ashes distribute on his looking grounds immediately after the pandemic subsides, she explained.

More than the a long time, he devoted his everyday living to her and 4 stepchildren — she’d been a widow when they achieved — as very well as performing at Mack Vans in Hagerstown for 35 several years. He was a learn software-and-die maker and machinist. He commenced July 12, 1972, and retired Aug. 1, 2007.

“It genuinely was amazing how he could correct something. He just practically instinctively understood how to make a portion to repair a machine when it broke down. He could always make pieces to make it get the job done, and he also did that around the household,” she reported.

A lifelong bike lover, in particular Harley-Davidson motorcycles, he also employed people abilities at the two organizations he’d owned — Stouffer’s Tailor made Cycles and Repairs, and Extra fat Bob N Moses’.

He obtained hooked on bikes as a teen, and that passion helped gasoline his wish to help other individuals as a result of groups like the Chambersburg HOG (Harley Owner’s Group) chapter that hosted fundraisers for little ones and other individuals in will need, she said.

The couple was also section of a charitable trip that has considering the fact that progressed into the Procedure God Bless The united states Journey and attracts thousands of bikes to the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Heart every single June.

“The first journey was from Waynesboro to the Gettysburg Peace Light-weight, and right after that it just started off obtaining bigger and even larger,” Stouffer stated. “It was just really vital to him to increase income for superior leads to.”

Mary Anne Davenport stated the team owes substantially of its achievement to Bobby Stouffer’s assist and dedication due to the fact the event started in 1991. He continued to support even soon after leaving the steering committee some a long time back, she reported.

The event has lifted roughly $750,000 to $800,000 for veterans in the 30 several years because its inception, she mentioned.

“Bobby was a large previous guy, type of the biker-intimidation glimpse when you initial saw him, but he was a sweetheart and experienced a heart of gold,” Davenport stated.

“There was under no circumstances a time when I wanted assist or advice that Bobby wasn’t there, and he often went previously mentioned and past,” she stated.

Despite the fact that they’ve extensive since retired, fellow United Automobile Workers Neighborhood 171 associates claimed they have not overlooked Bobby and his caring methods — both of those on and off the position.

Paul Highbarger claimed there is no way to accurately rely the number of individuals and lives he touched.

“Bobby could not say no, because he was a big-hearted Harley rider who cared deeply about police, veterans, young children and the less lucky. He loved The usa and he felt blessed to be from this area,” Highbarger claimed.

Highbarger reported Bobby had been a person of the very first to reach out to him after his son was killed.

“He helped out at the fall of a hat, and was aspect of fundraising for a scholarship that was started in our son’s memory and motorcycle rides that have been held as aspect of that,” he mentioned.

Andy Huffer, who worked with Bobby for about 30 several years, stated he was “one in a million” who usually did his finest for all people.

“It did not issue what time of day or night time, he would be there. He usually gave 125%,” Huffer reported.

Allan Houston said Bobby’s union operate was an extension of how a great deal he cared about others.

“He assisted a good deal of men and women in his union career mainly because his job was between the workers and corporation. You experienced to be a good listener, and I usually remember how much he preferred encouraging people today. But he also acquired together with the business so that was crucial, too,” Houston reported.

Retired plant manager Roger Johnston praised him as a man who was generally willing to hear and look at what was most effective for personnel as very well as the plant.

“He was also generous and sort, generally wondering about the other person — that genuinely was his drive. Bobby actually stood out,” he mentioned.

Stepdaughter Stacey Mann stated she’d figured out compassion at his side, and credits him in section for her conclusion to turn out to be a nurse.

“You definitely do learn what you stay, and in my circumstance I noticed caring in action. We always had people today around to our residence, and he stepped ideal in to choose treatment of us immediately after getting rid of our have father. He was usually there for everyone,” Mann stated.