Col. Robert Thomas Durbin Jr., 62, of Frederick, Maryland, passed away at home on December 18, 2019, surrounded by family, after a two-year battle with synovial sarcoma. He was the loving husband of Peggy Dusha Durbin, his wife of 36 years.
Bob attended the University of Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. His first duty station was Ft. Stewart, GA, where he met Peggy, a transplanted teacher from PA. Together they moved to Germany, where Bob served as a Tank Company Commander and served in Desert Storm. After 12 years of active duty and with a growing family, Bob transferred to the Army Reserve. Bob settled the family in Indiana, PA, and earned a computer science degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He worked for Raytheon in State College, PA, while earning two master’s degrees, one from the University of Maryland and another from the Army War College in Carlisle, PA. Bob moved the family to Ellicott City, MD, in 2006, where he worked for several companies. In 2010, he became a Technical Program Manager at ComSource in Frederick, MD. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2011. After years of commuting from Ellicott City, Bob and Peggy moved to Frederick in September 2017. In October of that year, Bob was diagnosed with cancer. He retired from Globecomm in February 2019 as Director of Information Security.
Bob was an avid golfer and participated in the NBC Golf Amateur Tour. He greatly enjoyed music, baking bread, watching the Kentucky Wildcats, cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers and his dogs, Major, Troy and Cleo. Whitesell Pharmacy in downtown Frederick provided Bob with a battery-operated scooter, which he truly enjoyed. He used the scooter on a trip to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland just one month before he passed. Above all, Bob will be remembered as a great mentor to his friends, family and co-workers. He genuinely strived to help people find fulfillment and joy in their work and their relationships.
Born in Winchester, KY, Bob was the son of the late Robert T. Sr. and Irene Taulbee Durbin. In addition to his loving wife, Peggy, Bob is survived by two daughters, Emily Durbin, of Los Angeles, CA, and Elizabeth Durbin, of Baltimore, MD; one sister, Teresa (Richard Payne), of Dawsonville, GA; uncles and aunts, Roy and Helena Taulbee, of Lexington, KY, Cecil and Edna Taulbee, of Winchester, KY, William and Betty Taulbee, of Winchester, KY, William and Christine Durbin, of Richmond, KY; Maurice and Kay Durbin, of Delta, CO, Diann and Barney Wallace, of Discovery Bay, CA; and multiple nieces, nephews and other relatives.
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