They say a man’s home is his castle, but sometimes that castle becomes the cornerstone of a family, of a neighborhood, of a block and of a lifetime of memories. This week our yellow castle at Indiana Street lost its king, and in the passing of Robert Forberg, we lost a bit of ourselves.

Depending on what time of day you went to visit (and what day of the week) you’d find Bob watering his numerous plants: his towering coneflowers, black eyed Susan’s, ferns and hostas and whatever other plants he and his daughter had picked out at the nursery that week. Or maybe he’d be in his shop, building a new prototype of bird feeder or bird house, to make sure the animals who flocked to him and his yard, always had a safe and beautiful place to live in his garden wonderland.

Or maybe you’d catch him on the porch, a porch full of unicorn wind chimes and animal ornaments his grandkids always laid claim to, with a beer in hand as his sons got the grill ready, sneaking cigars around the back of one of his numerous sheds, as the rest of the family prepared the meal inside. There’d always be a cat (sometimes a squirrel) throwing itself at the window waiting for Bob to come out to not only feed it but to also hang out.

Other times he’d be on that porch surrounded by neighbors and their kids alike, as the whole block knew Bob always had an open fridge with the best drinks and snacks. His open fridge was paired with an open heart — everyone knew Bob was happiest in sharing anything and everything he had with the people he loved.

His house became the meeting point for the family — where Christmases were amazingly decadent, and neighbors and family members — pretending to be Santa —  would sneak in bags of presents handpicked for each kid. He always had a Sega full of games for the grandkids and a full bar in the basement for the adults.

 Through that spirit of family, he also became family with his neighbors. Most of us remember the epic block parties that every person looked forward to for months on end, kids racing up and down the street on bicycles, a band covering rock songs, neighbors opening their houses to one another and partying late into the night.

And while Bob loved everyone in his life, he especially loved his wife Ruth, who he now joins in this next stage of life. He met Ruth as a young kid, and after pulling her pigtails incessantly, he was marked on his future mother-in-law’s naughty list. Imagine her surprise when as a teenager, Bob was paid by Ruth’s brother a whole $5 to take her on a date. After their date, Bob immediately asked Ruth when they’d be getting married, and from that point on, they saved a little money from each date and would go to the store and pick out one item to put in a hope chest for their future life together. 

In their later years, Bob would joke sometimes saying that he’d be giving both her and his $5 back to her brother. He never meant it, and instead was always giving everything to her, from planting her yellow roses in the yard, to picking out her favorite authors for her ever-growing book collection. He always thought of her even when she was gone and there’s some peace in knowing they’ll hopefully be together again.

But for the rest of us left without Bob, we feel an emptiness at a man who meant so much to us. A man who became a father figure to everyone, helping with projects, taking people out to breakfasts and dinners. A man who gave his all to keep his family together and to build a life for them all to remember. Which he did. So while we’ve lost Bob, the memories we’re left with can fill endless pages with love, laughter and all he taught us. We love you and you’ll be in our hearts always. 

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