I knew Brian for over 20 years. We served in the same command twice during our Navy careers (we were both weather guys), and we were both on ships in Norfolk at the same time in the early/mid 2000s.
I first met Brian in 1995 when I relieved him onboard the USS Arleigh Burke, deployed in the Mediteranean Sea at the time. We spent a few days together and I got my first taste of the Brian laugh and selfless personality. We are also both Cowboy fans and we connected on that during those few days on the ship. That was back in the Cowboy glory years so we had something to feel good about. Later that same year I watched the Cowboys win the NFC championship game that put them in their last Super Bowl at the Gobles' place in Rota, Spain. It is a great memory. I'll never forget the Gobles' house parties during those years. They do it well. Brian and Robin left Spain a few months before we left and wouldn't see them again for years.
During the ship tours, we both had houses in Maryland and we commuted back and forth on the weekends. I ran into him twice stopped for gas at the same place on the route to Maryland. What are the odds of that? Our shipboard lives were pretty busy but we still managed to get together a couple times for beers.
A few years later we ended up stationed together again in Maryland at what turned out to be the last command for both of us. I had the privilege of welcoming Brian in the ranks of the Navy Chief Petty Officers during that tour (I had made Chief years earlier). There is about a 5 week process after getting selected for Chief where the "selectees" are given many training challenges before being welcomed into the "Chief's mess" and pinned. I was able to participate in the training the whole way and witness the pinning ceremony. It was an awesome time.
Brian I then worked together for about a year and a half as fellow Chiefs in the command. One of the coolest thing I saw Brian do came during this time. We had a Chief retiring and we needed a retirement shadow box. Brian took charge of this without being asked and put together the most spectacular shadow box I had seen up to that time. He was a guy you could count on to selflessly take things on and get things done. The Cowboys also happened to have one of their best seasons ever during that last year before Brian retired, so we got to talk about that everyday in the office.
After Brian retired, we kept in touch mostly through the miracle of Facebook and would comment on the Cowboys occasionally. The last time I saw him in person was when he turned 50 back in 2012 at the current Goble residence in Eldersburg. Another wonderful Goble house party with great chow. We stayed the night and he cooked one hell of a breakfast in the morning. I wish we had gotten together again at some point.
I agree with the other comments on here about Brian's laugh, his big heart, and selfless personality. I'm not sure I've ever met a nicer guy and this world is not as good a place without him in it. He'll be missed.
