CARIBOU, Maine — Over the weekend, Caribou lost one of its strongest unofficial ambassadors.
Robert Mockler, 76, died on Jan. 3 in Bangor; he was a longtime owner of the family business, Mockler Funeral Home, an active member of the Gray Memorial United Methodist Church congregation as well as a leader on multiple service-based and fraternal organizations like Kiwanis and the Caribou Masonic Lodge.
“He’s certainly going to be missed, because he was a friend to everybody,” said Wendell Spooner, a longtime member of the Caribou Masonic Lodge where Robert was a past Grand Master — they joined the Anah Temple Shrine together in 1968. “He talked with everybody and was on the same level with everyone — whether they were a laborer or a businessperson, he was a friend to all.”
Through known service and fraternal organizations, as well as his commitment to serving his hometown, Mockler did more than his part to make the world a better place; his volunteerism exceeded Caribou’s borders, as Mockler’s past titles include being the Lt. Governor of the New England District of Kiwanis, State Master Councilor of the Order of DeMolay, and he was even a board member for Aroostook Savings and Loan.
“All those things he was very proud of it inside, but he wouldn’t go around and tell everybody,” recalled one of his three sons, Jim Mockler. “The community was very important to Dad, as was giving back and helping out — not for any goal or reason, but because that was the right thing to do. And he enjoyed it,”
This past Sunday, longtime friend Dean Rauch was remembering Mockler with his fellow Gray Memorial United Methodist congregation member, who happened to be a Mason. As they recalled Robert’s vast accomplishments, a question cropped up.
“How did he find the time to do everything?” Rauch said with humor and respect in his voice.
“He was a doer,” Rauch remembered about his friend, who he knew from both Kiwanis and church “When we had things that needed to be done, he was one of the first ones to stand up and say ‘I can do that’ — and it would get done.”
A leader, a hard worker and a compassionate, knowledgeable man, Mockler was also incredibly humble.
“Dad cared about everybody. He did lots of things quietly, and he never did it to improve his lot in life or to impress anyone,” Jim said. “He did it because it was the right thing to do.”
A tremendous role model, doing the right thing was a lesson Robert imparted on his children.
“He never expected us to be perfect, but he always expected us to know the right thing to do,” Jim said, explaining that while his father never lectured, he expected his children to know right from wrong — and the correct thing to do.
Mockler had a wealth of knowledge about Caribou, and served on the Sesquicentennial Committee to celebrate his community’s birthday in 2009.
“He was well versed on the history of Caribou … the people, the places, and the interesting things that made Caribou, Caribou,” Rauch said.
In addition to being a local history buff, Mockler was heavily involved in his community, serving on the fund-raising committee for the Francis Chan Center at Cary Medical Center, and was a charter member of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce.
Mockler loved Caribou, and served as one of the city’s unofficial ambassadors, whether he was delivering 50-pounds of potatoes during his trips downstate or checking around town in winter to gauge the health of the snowmobile industry.
His caring and commitment to community was apparent and appreciated by the organizations he served.
“He was the kind of guy that we liked to be up there in the forefront, because he was the epitome of what we were trying to be, and we all loved him as a friend, as a colleague, and as a fellow of whatever organization it was that we belonged to,” Rauch said, acknowledging that Mockler was prominent in multiple organizations.
He exuded intelligence and finesse, but he also wasn’t afraid of a hard day’s work.
“Bob was always there working one way or another, either he was a chairman of a committee or he’d be out there working; when we used to go out and pick strawberries for our annual Strawberry Shortcake Festival, he was out there picking with us,” Rauch said. “Bob was a busy man, Mockler Funeral Home was a busy place, but he always had time for (the Kiwanis Club) and what we were tying to do in Caribou — he would make time.”
Jim remembers back to his childhood, driving up to Kamp Karawanee (a summer camp on Mud Lake put on by the Kiwanis Club for underprivileged youths) with his dad to get the camp ready for summer, jacking up the main hall and opening up the buildings.
“He was the kind of guy you wanted to be friends with. He was the kind of guy that was always there for you, and no matter what we needed, he was ready to be part of it — whatever it was,” Rauch said.
One of Mockler’s passions was supporting the Shriners Hospital for children, and those wishing to do so can contribute to the organization in his memory. He is survived by his family, including his wife, Thelma, and his sons, Jim, David and Stephen.
His complete obituary can be found on page 4.
