Robert Malcolm McLean

With great sadness, we announce the death of Robert Malcolm McLean, 75, of Mills River, NC.  He died peacefully on February 25, 2024, at Elizabeth House after a valiant defense against Parkinson’s disease and pancreatic cancer.

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1948 to the late Cathleen Horak McLean and John Craig McLean.  He is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Judy; sons Michael McLean of Raleigh NC and John McLean of Mobile AL; daughters Angela McLean and Jennifer McLean; grandson Malcolm McLean; sisters Judy M Groff and her husband, Don, of Mills River, and Penni M Conner and her husband, Nick, of Medfield MA.  He is also survived by his dear cousins Rick Horack, Brad Horack, Jody Horack Tyrpak, Peggy Horack Dossett, Nancy Horack Randall, Betsy McLean Hardin, Caroline McLean Gilbert and Mark McLean.

After his birth, the family returned to Horse Shoe, NC, where he learned the workings of the family dairy farm in his youth and was active with 4H in Henderson County.  After graduating from West Henderson High School, he received a BS in Agricultural Economics at NC State University.  His education provided him the opportunity to run McLean Dairy and quadruple it in size.  Acres of field corn were also grown to feed the cows. After the downturn of the dairy industry in the early ’90’s, he shifted his focus to the farming of tomatoes and okra.

In 1994, Bob and his wife owned and operated the unique cafe, The Trolley Stop, in Weaverville, NC, but his desire to use the rich soil led him back to the farm to grow flowers.  To offset the unpredictability of farming, he started driving a tractor trailer for Wilsonart in Fletcher, NC, which he continued for 20 years.  He spent many hours on the road planning for the necessary farm work that was waiting for him at home.

Over the decades, he was a gifted and avid golfer, swinging those clubs and shooting in the ‘80s at the many area courses with his loyal and supportive golfing friends as often as possible.

He will be forever remembered far and wide as the Master Grower of dahlias at their beloved business, Poppins Posies, in Mills River NC.  It began over 20 years ago with an insatiable urge to create stunning flowers and share them with a wide-ranging community at a reasonable cost.  He loved growing many varieties of dahlias and other beautiful blooms and he had an intuitive sense of their growing cycle while observing and predicting weather conditions.  A man truly connected to his land, he welcomed all to the farm with grace and love.  It was a magical place for the team members and visitors alike, who all considered it a sanctuary.

The family would like to express their deep appreciation and gratitude to all of Bob’s caregivers throughout his illness.  The loving care every one of them provided was heartfelt and compassionate.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to The Poppins Posies Memorial Fund that will be used exclusively for a memorial garden in Bob’s honor.  Those can be sent to Bob’s Garden, 374 Ray Hill Rd, Mills River NC 28759.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Robert Malcolm McLean, please visit our floral store.