Robert Eugene Carbaugh, formerly of Stephens City, Virginia, passed away on April 29, 2019 at
the Winchester Medical Center. He had resided at Lynn Care and Spring Arbor for the past four
years. Robert was a kind gentleman who loved to share jokes.
Robert was the fourth son of Preston Stewart and Lois Evelyn Stickley Carbaugh, and was born
in the Stickley home on Fairfax Street in Stephens City in March of 1922. His responsiblilty
growing up on the family farm was taking care of the chickens and gathering the eggs, along
with working in the fields when needed. During his time of working in the fields, Robert started
his collection of Indian arrowheads and spearheads.
Robert learned to play the guitar and played live on radio station WINC in Winchester and the
Martinsburg WV AM radio station. He was told that one Saturday night while playing live on
WINC, people of Stephens City were listening and dancing in the streets.
Robert was a 1940 graduate of Stephens City High School and later graduated from Strayer
Business School in Washington, DC. After college, he joined Potomac Edison Power Company in
Keyser, West Virginia. He drove back and forth from Keyser to Stephens City on weekends to
visit his future wife, Frances Virginia Ewing. Robert and Frances were married September 5,
1953 at Grace Lutheran Church in Winchester, Virginia, and started their married life together
living in Keyser.
Robert worked at Potomac Edison for 35 years as a storeroom keeper, making sure the
maintenance trucks and crews had the proper equipment and supplies to do their jobs. During
his career, he worked for the company in Keyser, Luray, Strasburg, Winchester, and finally
Kernstown. Robert had the good fortune of having a retirement that lasted longer than the
total of his working years (39).
Throughout the decades, Robert had large gardens of various vegetables and it was not unusual
for him to plant over 100 tomato plants. He then helped Frances in the process of canning the
fruits of his labor.
Robert enjoyed listening to and watching Washington sports teams (Senators, Redskins and the
Nationals). While living in Strasburg in the mid to late 1960’s, when the Washington Senators
were playing on the west coast, it wasn’t unusual for the radio to be playing until the wee hours
of the morning.
At his death, Robert was the oldest male member of Stephens City Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church, having been a member for many decades. He also was a former member of the
Strasburg and Stephens City Lion Clubs.
Robert is survived by a son, Larry Alan Carbaugh, and wife, Debra Layman Carbaugh, of
Winchester, Virginia; two grandsons, Jeremy Alan Carbaugh (Mary), of Gaithersburg, Maryland,
and Matthew Scott Carbaugh (Christina) of Winchester, Virginia, and a great grandson, Owen
Trinidad Carbaugh, of Winchester, Virginia.
Preceding Robert in death were his parents, his wife, Frances Ewing Carbaugh, and three
brothers, Clarence, Julian, and Claude.
The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful care Robert received from the staffs of Lynn
Care and Spring Arbor over the past four years.
The family will receive friends starting at 9:45 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m.
at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stephens City, Virginia, on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, with
burial at Green Hill Cemetery. The Reverend George Sims will officiate.
Pallbearers will be Jeremy Carbaugh, Matthew Carbaugh, Louis Carbaugh, Joseph Carbaugh,
Clayton Carbaugh, and Mike Ewing.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church, 810 Fairfax Street, Stephens City, Virginia 22655, or to the Stephens City Fire and
Rescue Company, P. O. Box 253, Stephens City, Virginia, 22655.