Robert Joe Rambo Jr.

Robert "Bob or Bobby" Joe Rambo, Jr. of Los Gatos, California, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, the 23rd of April, 2024.

Born on December 3, 1928 in Atlanta, Georgia, Bob was raised in nearby North Augusta, South Carolina by his father and a rotating household of doting uncles, but primarily by his beloved Aunt Lizzie.

While most of Bob's recollections of his childhood resemble an adventurous Mark Twain novel, one of the biggest influences of his southern upbringing was his introduction to golf, undoubtedly due to the presence of the nearby Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Golf Tournament. His love for the sport was unwavering throughout his life.

While attending North Augusta High School, Bob played football, participated in the three-act farce "Mr. Beane from Lima '' as Burley Bexford Beane and was voted "Most Friendly". Bob graduated high school in 1946.

Bob left South Carolina in his twenties, hitch-hiking across the country to California. He started at the ground up in the aerospace industry, and fondly remembered attending Lawrence Welk concerts with friends at the nearby Santa Monica pier.

After pivoting into sales, his true talent, Bob temporarily left California to go back home to care for his elderly aunt and father until they passed away two years later. He then met his first wife (Janet) in Fort Worth Texas, and then moved to Seattle, Washington where they welcomed their first child. Shortly after, they moved to the Bay Area in California, where their second child was born. Bob started a manufacturer's rep firm focusing on the building industry, which he ran successfully for decades.

Married (and divorced) twice, Bob's "southern" charm with ladies, as well as his unmatched sense of humor and loyalty to his friends, were his most defining characteristics. After his kids were grown, Bob was a fixture around town, where he and his expansive group of friends would meet for a nightly drink, shared laughs and exchanges of stories.

After the closure of his rep business, Bob continued to manage the office building he had purchased earlier in his career and delighted in greeting his tenants every day and tending to their assorted needs. He treated them like family, believing strongly in hand-shake deals. He continued this up until his death.

Bob is predeceased by his brother Charles, and is survived by his son David, his daughter Kathryn, his grandchildren, Derek, Lily, and Creighton, currently two great grandchildren, Cooper and Liviana and a list of friends too lengthy to name.

In honoring him, consider playing a round of golf, drinking a gin and tonic with good friends, or simply sitting in your easy chair while catching an old western movie. He will be sorely missed.

Published in Los Gatan · April 29, 2024