Robert C. Gruman passed away on Dec. 14, 2012 at the age of 90 years. Gruman served in World War II as a weather observer in Benghazi, Libya and Cairo, Egypt from 1943 to 1946.

 

Robert C. Gruman 

Gruman worked at The Winkley Company in Minneapolis, Minn. from 1938 to 1984 and was the third generation of family ownership of Winkley. He was certified in prosthetics in 1954 and served as president of the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association in 1964. He helped start the O&P program at Century College in 1974 by securing start-up funding and hiring the first director.

After his retirement, Gruman was succeeded at Winkley by his son, Greg Gruman, president of the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics in 1989, and who in turn will be succeeded by his children, Alex and Amalia Gruman. Winkley celebrates its 125th year in 2013 and is proud of its five-generation family legacy.