In Loving Memory of Sgt. Issac Joe Gilmore

Juan Leonard Hrobowski, age 58, of Social Circle, GA, passed away on July 3, 2021. Mr. Hrobowski was born in Chicago, IL, on June 24, 1963, to Annie James Hrobowski and the late L.S. Hrobowski. He was (as he often said) "the landlord's son" and could create or fix anything he put his hands on.

He spent his entire working career at Hines VA Hospital in Maywood, IL., where he worked as a Durable Medical Equipment (DME)Tech making wheelchairs for veterans. The essential part of creating mobile chairs was making sure that the chair matched the person and their personality. His goal was to ensure that everyone was happy and able to do whatever it was that they wanted to do - from their chair. Only then was he satisfied. He retired from Hines on July 31, 2019.

Surviving members of his immediate family are his wife, Cynthia (Hunt) Hrobowski; mother, Annie Birdean (James) Hrobowski; brother, Kenneth Sampson; and nephew, Brandon Sampson; a family circle that included Lee (Sherry) Hrobowski, Derek (Marcie) Flowers, Ray Hrobowski, and Alvin (Lavera) Ware; along with a multitude of friends and extended family members numbering in the hundreds who loved him dearly...every single one near and dear to his heart.

Juan was introduced to horses by his maternal grandfather as a young child. He would visit his grandparents on the farm in Mississippi mucking stalls, brushing, feeding, and finally riding the horses. While he loved everything horse-related, he was appalled by the chickens, so much so that growing into adulthood, he refused to eat "anything with wings." Beef, seafood, and french fries with Jameson on the side were a staple!

As he loved horses so much, he eventually was lead to rodeo. He had a passion for and loved his many years of steer wrestling/bulldogging. Juan had an entire rodeo family that was just as close to him as his blood relatives. He loved them as much as they loved him. So much so that he toured the circuits actively steer wrestling, watching, teaching, or training. When he retired from the rodeo, he continued in any role where he was wanted or needed. He would train horses, lend a hand, train barrel racers, and impart wisdom with answers to any question. If he didn't know the answer, he would research to the point of exhaustion - guaranteed to have an answer by the next discussion.

To quote his mother, "Juan is just like his father L.S.; he never met a stranger." Everyone was a friend who most often would become family to him.

In 1980, Juan met Cynthia (Chee) at Proviso East High School. His retelling is, "I walked into the room, she turned around & smiled. That did it for me."

Life intervened, and they went their separate ways. However, in 2009, they reconnected via Facebook, and their love story began...again! They married in 2017 in an intimate civil service, and Juan joined his wife in Georgia following his retirement from Hines. Together, they lived a good life in Lawrenceville until recently moving to Social Circle, GA to carry out his dream of creating a small farm with their horses, a few cattle, goats . . . much to his annoyance, chickens for Chee.

"When I think of Juan, I see his spirit. I see his love for his mother, family, friends, horses, and Rottweilers. I feel his love for me. I want everyone to remember him as he was - a true man's man with a heart of gold.

 

Rest in peace. (condolence cards can be sent to the VPVA office and will be compiled and sent to Juan's wife Cynthia")
Vaughan Chapter PVA,
2235 Enterprise Drive Suite 3501
Westchester, IL 60154.