jacob Francis "Fritz" Gobbo
Marriages
JoAnn Stimbert - March 9, 1958
Grand Junction, CO
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 4B Obituary - September 15, 2018
Fritz Gobbo August 25, 1933 - August 14, 2018
Joseph Francis "Fritz" Gobbo was born on August 25, 1933, in Grand Junction, Colorado to Anna Margaret Mudrock (Mudrack) and Gioseppi (Joseph) Gobbo. He was the eldest of two children; his sister, Betty Irene, was born three years later. He was born in St. Mary’s Hospital. His maternal aunt tagged him with the nickname "Fritz" when he was very young, exclaiming, "That’s a Fritz if I ever saw one" and his parents and sister would attest to that with many stories of his infamous escapades as a child. The family lived in the Appleton area and Fritz attended and graduated from Appleton High School in 1952. He was always available to do farm work and was trained to operate farm and construction equipment including a road grader and caterpillar. He attended Mesa College, Barnes Business School and Denver University, studying accounting. He was called to service in the United States Army and because of his farm training on heavy equipment was attached to an Air Force unit and served in Korea, and Guam, where his assignment (because of his heavy equipment experience) was to repair airfields. He was honorably discharged in 1955. A quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes depicts his military attitude toward his service. "Those who serve in the military, have hearts that are touched by fire; having known great and horrible things they are often content with silence". He married Jo Ann Stimbert on March 9, 1958, in Grand Junction, Colorado. He worked for his father and uncles farming until 1979 when he and his cousins purchased the farm land in Appleton and established Gobbo Farms. He later established Gobbo 7 Produce along with his wife, Jo Ann. He was a life member of the Elks Club, a member and past president of Farm Bureau, and the Western Colorado Horticultural Society, and served on an agricultural advisory committee to the Colorado State University. He was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and helped in the construction of the original church building on North 7th Street. He served as secretary to the Board of Directors of Gobbo Land and Livestock. He was a hard working dedicated agriculturalist and took great pride in the stewardship of his orchards, garden and farm land. He enjoyed his family, and traveling and will be especially missed by his canine companion, Rio de Janeiro II. He is survived by his wife of 60 years; children, Gayle Mccleary Gobbo, Kevin L. Gobbo (Ginger), and Lora K. Moore (Dean); eight grandchildren and their spouces, and ten greatgrandchildren. Fritz was preceded in death by his parents and beloved sister, Betty Irene Schneider of Baltimore, Maryland. Memorial services will be held Monday, September 17, 2018, 11:00 a.m., at Brown’s Funeral Chapel, 904 N. 7th Street.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 4B Death Notice - September 15, 2018
Joseph Francis Gobbo, 85, Grand Junction, died Sept. 14, 2018, in Grand Junction. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Brown’s Funeral Chapel. He was a rancher and farmer. Survivors include his wife, Helen JoAnn Stimbert; one son, Kevin Lee of Grand Junction; one daughter, Gayle Ann McCleary Gobbo of Grand Junction; eight grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions to HopeWest, 3090B N. 12th St., Grand Junction 81506.
