The End Of A Snowball Era: Mr. Rob Retires After 43 Years

In the heat of the summer, there are few things better than an ice-cold snowball. The “marshmallow on top” is when Robert Williams — or Mr. Rob, as he is known to his community — is serving them.

After more than four decades in the snowball business, Mr. Rob expected to have his last day of work during the week of August 4.

“My customers are part of my family for nine months (each year),” Mr. Rob said, overcome with emotion. “Part of me is sad, but another part of me knows that this is the right time.”

Mr. Rob began in 1982, helping a friend run a $500 snowball truck while in college. In 1994, he bought his own retrofitted mail truck, complete with a cassette tape of “London Bridge is Falling Down” — the same tune he plays today.

In 2000, Mr. Rob bought a new, custom-modified snowball truck — now covered with over 75,000 customer signatures inside. As for the truck? Though he’s gotten many offers, he plans to keep it for sentimental reasons.

The familiar face — beneath sunglasses and baseball hat — around Severna Park has sold snowballs for 43 years. He’s served treats at pools and during sporting events, camps or special events to multiple generations.

“It’s been a hell of a ride,” Mr. Rob said.

One of the things he gets the biggest kick out of is serving snowballs to the children of kids he first came to know as toddlers themselves.

Running Mr. Rob’s snowball business is a nearly year-round, full-time job — starting in March and often stretching through December, weather permitting. During peak summer, he serves eight to nine pools daily, with prep, cleanup and restocking making it a nonstop operation. Mr. Rob wanted to give a shoutout to his helpers: Katie, Ethan, Jenny and Bri.

Over the years, Mr. Rob spent hours thinking up new flavors for the current trends, as well as games, trivia and more to make the kids’ time with him more fun. He’s celebrated their victories, like making the sports teams, and been a consoling shoulder when they didn’t.

A Sweet Sendoff

When the Severna Park Voice asked readers if they had memories of Mr. Rob, the responses were overwhelming. Many noted how he’s a Severna Park (and summer) staple. Here are others.

“I vividly remember him coming to the Evergreen pool in the ‘90s and the Whitehurst pool where my grandparents lived,” Madilyn Gilmore recounted. “When we moved back to Severna Park this winter, I couldn’t believe he was still running his business.”

Six-year-old Bennett Baxter wanted to share, “He is the nicest snowball man I know.”

Kendyl Whiteley and her sister used to order sweet flavors so mom wouldn’t ask for a bite. “I now live in Arnold, and Mr. Rob has come through my neighborhood a few times,” Whiteley said. “He’s met my two children and even comments on remembering the Gardner girls’ strategic orders.”

Sarah Kiser, whose sons are now 22 and 25, shared how Mr. Rob’s snowballs were always a summer highlight while her sons were growing up. “He is so kind! … He will surely be missed by many,” she added.

Lifeguard Jonny Reneau noted how Mr. Rob came to his pool every day and would often give him and his coworkers free snowballs.

“He used to let me order a cup of marshmallow (no snowball needed). It made my day every time,” Katie Pumphrey said.

Before Mr. Rob rides into the sunset — Sunset Beach, North Carolina, that is — he has a message for his customers.

“I want to thank them all from the bottom of my heart for accepting me into theirs and thank them for their patronage,” Mr. Rob said.