1939 – 2022

Robert James Wells, 82, passed away suddenly but peacefully following a four-month illness. The only child of Clarence and Sophie Wells, Bob grew up in New Hampshire. Enlisting in the U.S. Army after high school, he was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas until early 1962 when he came to California.

Bob enrolled in Western State College of Engineering in Inglewood and earned his degree in 1967. In his early years, his interests were hiking, photography and tennis.

A longtime resident of La Crescenta, Bob worked as a technical writer in the aero space industry throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s including at General Electric, Telos and Jet Propulsion Lab. One career highlight was at Daytona Beach, Florida where he worked as a download specialist for the Apollo Program.

In his middle years, Bob started collecting books, beads, tools and corks – often hosting cork parties.

Bob had a lifetime passion for wine education. It was the heyday for wine and food knowledge in the 1980s and 1990s in California. For Bob, it was wine classes, tastings, festivals, winemaker dinners and, often with his girlfriend, visiting wineries and tasting rooms. For decades, he was a member of The Society of Wine Educators and other wine groups.

In 2007, he joined Person & Covey, a Glendale dermatology company, as a technical writer, customer service and documentarian specialist. In his later years he enjoyed NASCAR, golf charity fundraisers and doing research on the Internet.

Bob was a warm, generous person, a people person who valued attention to detail; he led a multi-faceted life.

He is survived by cousins in New Hampshire, his girlfriend Marvel Simbach, associates and friends in California. A celebration of a life is planned for summer.