Robert W. “Bob” Gausman, age 91, of Hillsboro, died Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at the Highland District Hospital. He was born July 20, 1921 in Cincinnati, Ohio the son of the late Walter and Catherine Kramer Gausman. His wife, Martha Ann Lupton Gausman, survives. Robert Gausman, AKA, Bob Garry began a long and successful musical career at the age of 13 when he took private guitar lessons at Wurlitzer Music Company. At age 15 he played in a small band that had fun performing at their high school dances. The later, around age 17, he got to “sit in” as a rhythm guitarist with Cincinnati Night Club bands. Upon graduating from Hughes High School, Bob attended Miami University in Oxford. He spent one year at the University where he played “Big Band” music with a group called the Campus Owls. Today the Campus Owls are Miami’s Alumni Orchestra. World War II ended Bob’s student life at Miami as he was drafted into the Army. Again music played an important role in his life. He was chosen to be part of a small band that accompanied famous artists that came to Europe to entertain the troops. Coming home after W.W.II, Bob began his musical career in the civilian world. He played in a dance band at Coney Island in their Moonlight Gardens. Traveling up the Ohio River to Pittsburgh and then down to New Orleans on the Riverboat the Island Queen was a summer treat for the small dance band as they entertained passengers. He spent his time playing music in night clubs and supper clubs like Beverly Hills Night Club in Kentucky. He played guitar and sang at your dinner table in a small restaurant called Yeatman’s Cove in the Sheraton Gibson Hotel downtown Cincinnati. When the Gibson closed, Bob established a large fan base at the Windjammer in Sharonville. He remained there until his retirement. After more than 43 years in the music industry, Bob decided to enjoy life on his farm in Sinking Spring. He spent time cooking, gardening, farming, and enjoying his grandchildren. The whole family benefited from having him home. Performing and entertaining thousands of people, whether singing in supper clubs, or singing Christmas Carols dressed as Charles Dickens characters was not a job to Bob. He thoroughly enjoyed meeting people and creating special memories for birthdays, holidays, weddings, and anniversaries. Robert Gausman/Bob Garry enjoyed life to the fullest and lived with no regrets. He loved his family unconditionally. He will be greatly missed. In addition to his wife Martha, to who he married January 31, 1966 in West Harrison, Indiana he is survived by two children, Heather and her husband Monty Boyd of Peebles and Sean and his wife Tammy Gausman of Hillsboro; five grandchildren, Storm, Jayde, McKenna, Kailyn and Corey. Bob was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. In addition to his paretns, he is preceded in death by one brother Roy Gausman. Funeral services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Public visitation will be held Saturday, February 16, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Turner & Son Funeral Home, Hillsboro. For more information or to sign our on-line register, please visit http://www.turnerfuneralhomes.cc/
