For the better part of a decade, the Lowe’s of Virginia Beach, Virginia had its own unique Friday night ritual.
Joe Jones, a receiver/stocker at the store, said they would set aside some lumber in preparation for a special Saturday visitor who always wanted to see the forklift in action.
They had to be ready for Robbie.
“We would schedule certain things because we knew Robbie was coming,” Joe said. “‘Let’s leave the 4x4s and the 2x4s until Robbie gets here.’
“We always had a show planned for him.”
Robbie Heald first joined his father Jack on a trip to this Lowe’s location roughly 10 years ago, and that’s when his affinity for the forklift began.
Robbie lived with cerebral palsy and autism, and he was particularly interested in machinery that made a lot of noise, so it’s easy to see why the forklift caught his eye.
“One of the guys was out there on the forklift moving some wood,” Jack recalled. “Robbie was just drawn to it and he got a chance to come up and honk the horn. From that point, he was hooked.”
And a family tradition was born.
Every Saturday, Robbie would visit Lowe’s and watch the forklift. When the Healds took a family trip to New York, they had to find the nearest Lowe’s so Robbie could check out the forklift.
But there was something extra special about his hometown Lowe’s, store 86.
“After a while we became friends with the associates,” Jack said. “It became much more about seeing the people.”
Robbie’s mother Maureen likened the experience of walking into the store to the classic TV show ‘Cheers,’ and those famous intro song lyrics:
Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
“That’s what Lowe’s was for Robbie,” Maureen explained. “He’d walk in, and from the cashiers to management, everybody would say hello. They’d start calling to let people know Robbie was here.”
Marc Meyer, a pro sales specialist, was one of the associates who developed a strong bond with Robbie and his parents. He said they became part of an extended Lowe’s family.
“Robbie got to know everybody. He’d ask for people. He’d wander around the store and say hi to everyone,” Marc said. “He was like a little brother, and we all wanted to make him feel good.”
The Lowe’s team gave Robbie his own red vest and additional Lowe’s gear. They presented Robbie with a special forklift certificate. He loved it all.
For us… it’s hard to put into words. We are undoubtedly customers for life.
When COVID-19 arrived and forced everyone to start wearing masks, Robbie refused. Then his friends at Lowe’s offered a special gator and he wore it proudly.
“It was really hard during the pandemic because he just wouldn’t wear a mask. It was a huge problem for us,” Maureen said as her voiced cracked with emotion. “They got him a camo Lowe’s gator and from that day on he would wear that mask anywhere. It was lifesaving and beyond thoughtful.”
Maureen and Jack reached out to the Lowe’s corporate office to share this story. They wanted people to know about the kindness and customer service they experienced at their local Lowe’s. They wanted people to know about the associates who made their son feel like the most important person in the world.
There weren’t many places Robbie could go and just be himself and have fun. At Lowe’s, he fit right in. He was part of the team.
“A lot of times when we’d be out in public, people would kind of avoid us or walk in the other direction. It’s out of human nature, I think. Sometimes people get uncomfortable,” Jack said. “But here’s a bunch of people that embraced him and developed very strong bonds with him. For us… it’s hard to put into words. We are undoubtedly customers for life."
Robert James Heald passed away on April 8, 2021. He was at home, surrounded by loved ones. He was 22 years old.
Marc, Joe and other associates from store 86 mourned Robbie’s passing with the family. They shared a group photo with the Healds (below), and it’s something the family cherishes.
“Robbie was very impactful on me,” Marc said. “We miss him.”
“It was just seeing the smile on his face,” Joe added. “We made him so happy, and when we were having a bad day, Robbie made us smile, too.”
Lowe’s was a huge part of Robbie’s life. And those associates who befriended him – Jack and Maureen can’t thank them enough.
“They looked at him beyond the walker, beyond the wheelchair,” Jack said. “He was their buddy.”
