Passes away following cancer battle
Roseville, Calif.- Robert M. Maxey, whose ministry to young people throughout the Greater Sacramento area touched thousands of lives over the last two decades, died April 15 surrounded by his family after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 54.
Maxey, known as Rob to everyone, got started in ministry as a volunteer at Valley Springs Presbyterian Church in Roseville in the 1990s and went on to join the staff of Youth for Christ in 1998, later becoming Executive Director for the Greater Sacramento area, a position he assumed in 2015. His initial ministry work focused on the Roseville and Granite Bay areas. In 2006, Rob and his wife, Mickey, opened up a facility next to their home near Granite Bay High School to give local junior high school and high school teenagers a place to connect with other teens as well as share the Gospel. Painted red outside, it is known very simply as “The Barn.” He also oversaw the Collings Teen Center in West Sacramento.
Rob brought an infectious love and joy to everyone he encountered. “Rob’s energy and enthusiasm for his mission to serve the children of our city was tireless,” said West Sacramento Police Chief Thomas J. McDonald. “His advocacy was contagious and the impact he has had on countless kids has been profound. We would like to thank the Collings Teen Center, Sacramento Youth for Christ and, in particular, Rob Maxey for the commitment to the children of West Sacramento and to the future of our community.
“On a personal note, Rob’s love of life, his love for all people, and his commitment to his faith was infectious,” Chief McDonald said. “On a daily basis Rob demonstrated by his words and his actions what it means to be a leader, a mentor, a teacher, a friend, and a husband and father. As I write this I can’t help but smile through my heartache as I think of Rob.”Gary Fox, who preceded Rob as Executive Director of Youth for Christ, said: “Rob transitioned from a volunteer working with students to a full time missionary with Youth for Christ as a way to impact more young people with the Gospel. God blessed his commitment with hundreds of young people who were attracted to his love for the Lord.”
Rob Played a key role in growing an anti-bullying program called Point Break in junior high schools and high schools throughout the region and, for the last five years, organized the annual Roseville Celebrity Chili Cookoff to raise funds for the program in Roseville and Granite Bay schools.
He was instrumental in growing the services for children in Citrus Heights at the City Life Sayonara Center. “Rob Maxey put his heart and soul into expanding the programs at the children’s center in Sayonara,” said Citrus Heights City Councilmember Jeannie Bruins. “Under his leadership the center grew from an elementary age after school program to including middle and high school kids, breakfast and evening programs.
Rob’s love of kids and service to his Lord will leave an imprint on our community for generations as these children grow into productive adult citizens, grounded in strong values.”
Robert Muir Maxey was born May 4, 1962, on the USAFB in Mildenhall, England, the son of Frances Anderson and Robert W.Maxey. He moved to the United States in 1978 and lived in the greater Sacramento area since that time.
He is survived by his wife of more than 25 years, Mishalle (Mickey); sons Robert and Charles, all of Granite Bay; his mother, Frances and stepfather Earle Anderson of Carmichael; his stepmother, Eleanor Dowling Maxey of Zebulon, North Carolina; his siblings, Ramona M. Williams (Ron) of Plymouth, and James C. Maxey of Carmichael. He was predeceased by his father, Robert W. Maxey, who passed away in 2016.
A celebration of life was held April 29, at Bayside Adventure Church.
