Obituary of Robert W. Albanys

January 3, 1946 - June 8, 2025

Rob Albanys. Age 79 of Woodhaven.

Beloved husband of Deborah. Loving father of John (Jill)  and the late Robbie.  Dearest grandfather of Jordanna Rontein, Jenora (Jake) Piwarski and Joey (Esperanza).  Dear great grandfather of Seth and Claire.  Brother of Cookie, Dolly, Mickey, the late Terry Albanys and Bobbie Lily.

FAMILY TRIBUTE:

How do I find the words to honor the man I love? He could sometimes make me laugh and cry, happy and mad all at once, but this man with no filter had a kindness that could overshadow his few faults. And yes, he had them, but you knew where you stood with him. He was something we all should be—kind, genuine, and loyal.

He loved his boys and was so proud of them. He was proud of how smart they were and the men they became. He was a good friend, carrying friendships for a lifetime. If you needed something, he was there. He was an animal lover, and heaven help you if he ever found out you hurt one—especially his cats.

His interests were many—fishing, bowling, and cooking among them, with cars leading the way—and he was good at what he did with them. We met in a bowling alley in the summer of ‘82 when we were both late to a tournament, and we were assigned to the same pair of lanes. That began the spark. Two days later, we bumped into each other again at a different bowling alley. I knew it was special.

I was star-struck when I found out he was a drag racer, being a motorhead myself, thanks to my dad. It was always a trait I wanted in a man. 
 

He was an old Harley guy as well as a bad boy. Well, again with me being a Dick Van Dyke fan, I always loved Rob Petrie. Bonus—he was a Rob. Add to all that the coincidence of both of us living on the same two streets in Detroit at different times, and I knew it was meant to be.

Rob had a quiet confidence he never bragged about. He couldn’t be bothered with petty jealousies; he never needed his ego stroked. If he was good at something, he knew it, and that was that. He didn’t have to be told, and he didn’t have to tell. Yes, he was genuine—a real man.

His friend Rick called him the coolest guy he knew, and I agree. The best part is he didn’t have to work at it—he just was. And if you told him that, he would just shrug it off, like it wasn't a big thing, making him even more cool.

To paraphrase a line from Dana Reeve's eulogy to her husband Christopher:
“The vow says: Until death do us part, and I can’t honor that, for I will love you throughout eternity.”