Robert “Bob” Matthew Gump passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, September 16th, 2021. He is survived by his wife of fifty-one years Marilyn Gump, their two daughters, Karen Rebecca and Abigail Michelle, and three grandchildren Kirsten, Christopher, and Celeste. He is also survived by his brother Bruce Gump and family, and his sister Bonnie McNeil and family.
Bob was born on February 20, 1948 in Columbus, Ohio to Robert and Patricia Gump. Following in the steps of his father, and leading his younger brother, Bob was an active Boy Scout attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. He played the trumpet all through high school and college and loved marching in the band and playing in the pep and jazz bands. Most importantly, Bob was not only raised to be a serious Buckeye football fan, but passed along this priority to his children. All through high school Bob was active in Overbrook Presbyterian Church, and later became a youth pastor there.
Bob attended Muskingum College in Ohio where he majored in psychology and was a charter member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. While at Muskingum he was a DJ for the local college radio station, WMCO, where his early morning rock and roll show called “Gump’s Gorillas” helped students start the day. Bob fell in love with his wife Marilyn Wilson Gump in Philosophy class, and they were married two years later on August 1, 1970 in Bradford, PA, her hometown. They lived in Columbus, OH after their wedding where Bob was the sales manager for Smiling Scot, the family fundraising business.
Bob became a dad to Karen Rebecca in March, 1977 and to Abigail Michelle in July, 1980. When describing his daughters, Bob always said he had a pair of Queens; with his wife - ‘three of a kind, a great opening hand’!
Bob wore multiple hats. For twelve years Bob spent his weekends in Columbus Ohio directing the high school ministry program at Overbrook Presbyterian Church. In 1982 Bob shifted his energy to the Bethel Presbyterian Church youth ministry program where he served for another six years. Upon accepting a full-time position at First Presbyterian Church as Youth Ministry director, Bob moved his family to Fort Collins, CO in 1988. For four years Bob mentored, counseled and led junior-high, high-school, and college groups in bible study, small group activities, and mission trips around the United States. In 1991 Bob’s call changed to serve youth at Harmony Presbyterian Church through LOGOS and other God-inspired programming for kids.
While at Harmony church Bob studied to become a Commissioned Lay Pastor (CLP). He was commissioned in 1999 and worked regionally in Wyoming, Northern Colorado and Western Nebraska as a lay-pastor. In 2001 Bob accepted a call to Dalton Presbyterian Church where he co-pastored for seven years. Since then, Bob has been called to intermittently pastor churches in the following Colorado areas: Akron, Weldon Valley, Otis, Ft. Morgan, Brush, La Salle, and Milliken. Most recently Bob was active in his calling at Alliance Presbyterian Church in Nebraska and The Bethel Church of the Brethren in Arriba, CO.
Bob loved kids of all ages, from 0-100+ years old. In 1993 Santa Bob found another calling on his life. Beginning at Foothills mall in Fort Collins, CO, Bob’s passion to become one of Santa’s Helpers grew immensely. In 1995 Santa touched children’s hearts in New Jersey, Maryland, and Texas. Santa found his true home in Pittsburgh, PA, where he shared his light with this beautiful community for twenty years. Marilyn, the Mrs. Clause to his Santa, stayed by Bob’s side through it all.
In his careers, Bob was pastor first and Santa second. His third hat was owner and operator of his landscaping company, Gump’s Forrest. This boy loved nothing more than to get paid to play in the dirt.
Bob loved Jesus and shared the good news of the gospel everywhere he went. Bob couldn’t help but see the world through a lens of ministry, and many people experienced the love and passion that he exuded on a regular basis. This abundance of love was deep for his family, and he worked and played beautifully with them.
Simply put, Bob loved people; he cared about them and he knew no strangers. Bob’s legacy is full of love, friendship, hope, hard work, and diligence. Most of all, Bob’s love for the God we all serve, his companionship with Jesus who is a brother to us all, and his faith in the promise of the Holy Spirit to never leave or forsake any of us, sets an example for us to follow. Bob is assuredly in Heaven having a blast. He is reuniting with family and friends gone before him, and is sitting at God’s throne talking over the things that matter most. “When I get to heaven, I’m going to enter the throne room of God and say ‘Dad, there are some things I’d like to talk to you about.’” What a glorious conversation, indeed! “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you HOPE, and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. Beloved husband and dad, you will be missed more than we could ever put in words.
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