Obituary of Robert Alan Stark

Robert ("Rob") Alan Stark, 68, of Linwood, MN, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 6, 2025, surrounded by his family. Rob fought bravely and with hope for a heart transplant at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

A memorial service will be on Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 1:00pm with reception to follow

at the Cremation Society of Minnesota, 7110 France Ave S, Edina, MN 55435.

Visitation will begin at Noon.

Born the fifth of ten siblings in Gaylord, MN, Rob arrived on April 8, 1956, and never stopped making entrances. He is preceded in death by his parents, LeRoy and Charlotte Elaine Stark, and his sister Sarah Doerr. He is survived by his daughters, Miranda Stark (Joe Hoffman) and Vanessa Johnsen (Brandon); his beloved grandchildren, Alayna and Benjamin Johnsen; and his siblings Pixie Burtyk, Joel Stark, Tim Stark (Sue), Cindy Hormanski, Marci Wendt (Dave), and Phillip Stark (Nancy). Rob also leaves behind many cherished nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless friends, lucky to call him family.

Rob graduated from Gaylord Public High School in 1974, then continued his education at Hutchinson Vocational-Technical College until 1978. In 1979, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve and completed his active-duty training at Fort Dix, NJ. Rob earned several accolades from the Department of Defense, including Leadership Graduate, Expert Grenade qualification, Expert Sharpshooter, and International Driver. He served overseas on a humanitarian deployment to Korea in 1982 — and never quite forgave himself for not handing over his $400+ in gambling winnings to the kind waitress who (at the time) made pennies serving him. It's just one small story among many that shows Rob's big heart. Rob was honorably discharged as a Private on April 15, 1985.

During his military service, Rob built a family life in Chaska, MN. He managed a successful tire business, where he loved having his late mother, Elaine Stark, help keep the office organized. Rob took pride in taking care of the people around him — showering employees with silk jackets, spoiling their spouses with jewelry, and even sheltering staff and customers inside walls of tires during a 1986 tornado in Fridley, MN (while his family watched the chaos unfold on the local news). In 1991, Rob moved his family to Linwood, MN, where he lived for the rest of his life. He loved life outside the city — fishing, hunting, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. He later drove over-the-road semi-trucks, and some of his favorite memories were summers on the road with his daughter Vanessa and his faithful poodle, Oscar, as copilots. He proudly drove across the country until his first heart attack slowed him down in the fall of 2000.

Rob had a big personality and a passion for life. He loved spontaneous trips to Duluth (or Canada!), always ready to declare that nowhere was too far to drive. He especially loved driving on his Harley Davidson motorcycle until his health forced him to sell it. He could talk more than he listened (and he knew it), but he had the best stories and always plenty of advice-solicited or not. He could fix, build, and teach you how to do it yourself. He was a person who could find a way to connect with anyone, usually with a funny story, music, or a wink of wit.

Above all else, Rob's greatest pride was being a dad and, especially, a Papa. His love for his daughters — and his joy in teaching them independence, how to fix cars, build dog houses, and work hard — was surpassed only by his deep love for his grandchildren, Alayna and Ben. His love will forever live on in all of them.