GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Robb Westaby is retiring from Fox 17, concluding a broadcasting career that spans nearly 52 years, including almost two decades at the station.
I knew I wanted to sit down with the man who has called this studio home for just shy of 20 years. To be clear, he is not one to make it about himself.
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For five decades, Robb's voice has graced the airwaves of radio and television. We had the pleasure of celebrating his storied career in 2024, but with that many years under his belt, he has faced his fair share of hurdles.
"Looking back, what are the memories that you're taking with you?" I said.
"The number of times I've been laid off," Robb said, only half-joking.
From layoffs to open-heart surgery in 2025, he has navigated it all.
"The quadruple bypass threw me for a loop. I did not expect its effect," Robb said.
He said recovery anxiety was a struggle, but when he came back, you wouldn't know it because he navigated it all with a composure as smooth and steady as his presence on air. Now, he gets to call the shots.
"You're leaving on your terms," I said.
"On my terms. That's, that's kind of gratifying," Robb said.
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"Is there one thing over the years here at Fox 17 that you've looked back and have enjoyed the most?" I asked.
"Really the people. This may sound like a stereotype, but the reason that I kept going at this business was the people," Robb said.
But the one person at the center of it all, his wife, Juanita Westaby, was along for the ride the entire way.
"She's just been a huge — the gift — of my life," Robb said.
The two met at a radio station in Indiana where Robb was the personality and Juanita was the news anchor.
"I had no plan," Juanita shared. "I thought, oh, we're here in Fort Wayne, it's my hometown. We'll stay here forever. Nope, we did not."
"As a result of my first layoff," Robb added.
"And despite all of that, you stuck by him?" I joked.
"I did. You know he had an up and down career, but he's the most solid man I've ever met," Juanita said. "50 years in broadcasting. 45 years married, honestly, one bad day. 9/11 where we had to abandon our kids to go do our jobs. That's a pretty good ratio."
Now with plenty of time to look back on where he came from and the legacy he has left behind, his parting wisdom is to live in the moment.
"My career has gone in a totally different way than I predicted. I wanted to be a big radio star, and for all of what you say, I was never really a big star," Robb said, before looking at the pictures of himself in the studio and pointing at his younger self. "He's still dreaming. Yeah, the other guy next to him, yeah, he's doing okay."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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