Born May 11, 1948, in Huntington, West Virginia, Rob was the son of the late Robert E. “Bob” Vass Sr. and the late Heath McIntosh Vass. He was a proud graduate of Huntington High School and attended Marshall University.
Rob lived for the people around him. He was happiest when his home was full of his children and grandchildren, and he carried that same warmth everywhere he went. Walking into a restaurant with him was an event with so many friendly stops that twenty minutes might pass before you ever sat down. He knew every back road and who lived in every house, and he loved to drive through Lewisburg or Huntington, recounting the memories each place held.
Rob and his wife Liba built a life full of those connections. That his closest friends at seventy-seven were the same ones he’d had as a boy in Huntington says everything about his loyalty. That his two former wives, Libby Stephens and Mimi Vass, remained close friends until his passing says just as much.
While Huntington made him who he was, Greenbrier County, or God’s Country as he called it, is where he built his life. He made his home in Lewisburg, where he became a respected figure in the community. He and Liba treasured their time at the Greenbrier Sporting Club, where they built a close circle of friends who became like family.
Rob believed a community is something you build, not just something you live in. In 1993, he developed the Greenbrier Pines community and later Jonah’s Landing, helping create neighborhoods where families could put down roots. He served on the Foundation Board of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, contributing to the advancement of medical education in the state, and was a longtime member of Enslow Park Presbyterian Church in Huntington and later Ronceverte Presbyterian Church.
Rob made his career in insurance, but his real work was taking care of people. He started at Staats-MacIntosh, where he rose to owner and president, and built a specialty serving the physicians and medical practices of West Virginia. As the firm changed hands over the years, first to McDonough Caperton, then Acordia, and finally Wells Fargo, Rob remained a constant for his clients, ultimately retiring as Vice President.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Robin (Beth) Vass Lutz; and his beloved wife, Elizabeth “Liba” Ann Sadler Vass, who passed away in 2022.
Rob is survived by his children, Robert E. Vass III (Laura), Lisa Katherine Burke (Dr. Michael Burke), Trey C. Vass (Jaime), and Rowdy Galigher Vass (Turner); his stepchildren, Sarah Pinson Ezanidis (Peter), Rebecca Pinson, and Alexander Vence (Dr. Lacey Vence); his siblings, Frank (Hank) McIntosh Vass and Molly Vass Lehman (Rob); his grandchildren, Aidan Burke, Lainey Burke, Van Vass, Emery Vass, and Robert E. Vass IV (River); his step-grandchildren, Thomas Vence and Eva Vence; and numerous dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the organizations Rob cared about deeply: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Foundation, HospiceCare of Greenbrier Valley, YMCA of Huntington, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State, or the Marshall Big Green Scholarship Foundation.
Service details to be announced.
Online guestbook can be signed, or condolences may be sent to the Vass family at www.morganfh.net. Arrangements entrusted to Morgan Funeral Home, Lewisburg, WV.