Robert (Bob) Grusse, 94, beloved husband of 68 years to the late Alice (Engelke) Grusse, passed away peacefully on the afternoon of September 11, 2016, after a short residency at Saint Mary Home in West Hartford. Born on April 27, 1922, he was the son of the late William and Anna Grussi and lived in his beloved Meriden, CT for most of his life. The promising start of a working life at Miller Co. was forever disrupted when the “Greetings” letter arrived in 1942. He served in the US Army 9th Armored Division. He worked as food broker representative for his career years to provide for his growing family of six children. Bob was a local artist and a founding member and past president of the Southington Arts and Crafts Association. Art was his gift and passion, his legacy being the resurrection of the Murdock Homestead in the 1960s. He worked tirelessly, doing all the work himself, to bring the 1780s house back from condemnation to create the wonderful home his family enjoyed through the 1960s and early 70s. A proud father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he is survived by four daughters, Ellen Grusse and Korky Vann of Bloomfield, Gwenn Vena and Richard Vena of Wilmington, NC, Barbara Grusse and Lou Ippolito of Holiday, FL and Mary Holmes of Davis, CA; two sons, Chuck and Rose Grusse of Essex and Greg and Maura Grusse of Glastonbury; eight much loved grandchildren, Dana, Corey, Jeffrey, Kevin, Rachel, Samantha, Emily and Margaret; two great-grandchildren, Steven and Max. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Ralph Grussi and Harold Grussi and a sister, Marguerite Rene. The funeral will be held on Friday, September 16, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. from the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home 88 East Main Street, Meriden and at 11 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Church for a Mass of Christian Burial. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday morning prior to the Mass from 9 to 10:30 a.m.