Robert was born and raised on a family farm near Teeswater and has spent most of his life living in Teeswater. Robert and Gloria have been married since 1969 and have 2 sons, 1 daughter and 5 grandchildren.
Since 1968 Robert has been self-employed in the handling of livestock and freight. Robert was elected to council for the municipality of South Bruce in 2010 and elected as Mayor in 2014 and 2018.