EDITORIAL: A remnant of old Cd'A died Saturday

Athletic. Hardworking. Loyal. Generous. Private.

Those adjectives describe the late Aaron Robb, who died much too young on Saturday.

Here’s one more: enigmatic.

For someone who spent decades managing a downtown Coeur d’Alene bar and restaurant frequented by thousands of people, mingling with the masses, Aaron was a man of mystery.

Unlike his pop, Tom — who died earlier this year after lording over Iron Horse for half a century — Aaron could almost be described as shy. Tom owned the gift of gab. Aaron borrowed it on occasion.

What many people know is that Aaron was one of the best athletes Coeur d’Alene ever produced. He starred at Gonzaga Prep before earning a scholarship to play football at Notre Dame.

Yes, Notre Dame.

He left with his imprint on the Fighting Irish’s 1988 National Championship trophy, but he came home with something far more valuable: A diploma from the University of Notre Dame. Aaron Robb was about as far from the dumb jock stereotype as you could find.

A daily fixture at PEAK Health & Wellness Center in Coeur d’Alene, Aaron would exercise so hard he’d have to change shirts mid-workout. But the rigorous StairMaster regimen was more than a way to keep his body tuned up. It was a means for Aaron to tune out. He was always reading books, his mind going wherever authors took it while his sweating body was left laboring behind.

What some people may not know is how much more Aaron Robb could do than mix a good drink or make sure the restaurant was fully stocked for Fourth of July feeders. There was a lot going on in the man’s head, and he chose to share that part of himself with few people.

Yes, that probably was an extension of his desire for privacy, but it also was a powerful sign of respect for others, not foisting his deepest thoughts or pushing his political persuasions or beliefs upon anyone. That respect for others, now fading, was once a badge of Coeur d'Alene citizenship.

Iron Horse doesn’t draw many gourmet food fans. It has generated its fair share of police log entries. And it has long been a place where members of one party listened to luncheon speakers in a side room while in another, members of an opposing party might be having a very different conversation.

Through the positive, respectful influence of Aaron Robb and his dad before him, those disparate groups might have ended up not at each other's throats, but at the bar buying each other a drink.