For the last three months of his life, Paul W. Grobe - aka Mr. Fix-It - could communicate with his family only through written word because of the tumors in his neck.

Hands that were so familiar with holding work tools switched to a pen and a pad, writing his last words to loved ones that still speak to his family.

"I love you guys."

"Lots of good times to come! Every day something good!"

"Never be sad long."

"Everybody must know that my life very happy and complete."

The same cancer that had taken his voice eventually took his life. Mr. Grobe died June 24 at his home in Broomfield. He was 45.

Mr. Grobe was born on April 17, 1961, in Cleveland. He moved to Colorado in 1984 with his high school sweetheart-turned-wife, Marlene. They had two daughters, Hannah and Maia, and attained partial custody of Hannah's friend Eryn Lynch.

He worked as the district technical manager for all Colorado Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, assisting employees in equipment maintenance and repair and earning the nickname Mr. Fix-It.

"He just knew how things worked," Marlene Grobe said.

She recalled a time when Hannah, then 3 years old, listened to the Humpty Dumpty story in bed and heard of the plight of all the king's horses and all the king's men.

"She yelled: 'Daddy could fix it!' " Marlene Grobe said.

Mr. Grobe's skill at fixing things was most evident in his hobby of four-wheeling, as he was often seen under the hood of a car, working on his customized Suzuki Samurai "dream car" or helping fellow members of the Hillbillies 4x4 Club work on their vehicles.

"As soon as the kids were able to be in a car seat facing forward, they went four-wheeling," Marlene Grobe said.

Mr. Grobe was a former president of the Hillbillies and their first recipient of the Four-Wheeler of the Year Award, now given annually to members who make the most contributions to the club and the community.

"He was one of the most helpful guys you'll ever meet," said Tom Kyle, Mr. Grobe's friend for seven years and the current president of the Hillbillies. "He was just a great guy to be around."

In addition to his wife and three daughters, Mr. Grobe is survived by his mother, Elizabeth, of Cleveland; two brothers, Jack Grobe, of Chicago, and Thomas Grobe, of Arvada; and two sisters, Sandy Brown, of Wooster, Ohio, and Judith Sachs-Grobe, of Chicago.

A celebration of his life was held July 2 at the Greenway Park Clubhouse in Broomfield. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Namaste Comfort Care Fund at 303-860-9915.

Before he died, Mr. Grobe wrote a note showing an attitude going into death that echoed his positive attitude during life: "Happy and at peace."