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Harold Rubke

Nov. 30, 1927-April 18, 2011

 

Harold was born in Vineberg, to Adolph and Mary Rubke. The youngest boy of five brothers and five sisters, he grew up in Vineberg on the family ranch.

He joined the United States Navy during World War II and served in the Pacific.

After being discharged from the Navy, he married Joyce Dillman also, from Vineberg. Together they had four children - Mike, Tom, Dave and Cindy.

While growing up in Vineberg, he enjoyed hunting and fishing with his brothers and friends, in the sloughs south of town. For many years, he went on hunting trips to Nevada with Al Church, Ed Dillman, his brother, Jeff, and Jerry Stockton. Harold worked in the construction industry most of his life and was the equipment superintendent for the Bechtel Power Corp. during the construction of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating station, west of Phoenix Ariz., for 10 years.

Joyce passed away in 2001. Harold met and married Colleen Duncan in Phoenix Ariz. Colleen had two children from a previous marriage, John and Debbie Duncan, and together they lived in Arizona until Colleen passed away in 2006 and Harold continued to live in Phoenix, Ariz. until his death.

Harold will be missed by his family and many friends. Harold is survived by his children, Mike Rubke, and wife, Yuriko, of Sonoma; Dave Rubke, and his wife, Patty, of Avondale, Ariz.; Cindy Avila, and husband, Ed, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; John Duncan, of Phoenix, Ariz.; Debbie McDowell, and husband Mike, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; his youngest sister, Audrey, of Texas; and sister-in-law, Francis Rubke, of Sonoma; as well as eight grandchildren, Paul Rubke, of Salt Lake City, Utah; Jayme Rubke, of Sonoma; Scott Rubke, of Prescott, Ariz.; Chad Rubke, of Avondale, Ariz.; Max Avila, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Tony Avila, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Jacey McDowell and Cassidy McDowell, both of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and two great-grandchildren, Oliver and Madeline Rubke, of Salt Lake City, Utah; and Harold's best friends, Jerry and Donna Morlan, of Berthoud, Colo.

A memorial for Harold will be held at Sea Ranch in June. For additional information, contact Mike Rubke at 935-0242.