1951 – 2019

Robert James Fletcher was born on Nov. 14, 1951 to Helen and James Fletcher at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Los Angeles. Both his parents were born in Texas then met in Los Angeles.

Bob grew up on the streets of the Vermont Avenue/Virgil area of LA, attended Virgil Jr. High and graduated from Belmont High School in 1969. Bob served in the Army, traveled to Germany, then returned to Los Angeles and graduated cum laude from Los Angeles City College in 1975.

Bob began working part time with Teamster Local 495 that contracted with thoroughbred racing organizations and venues in California. He became a full-time employee and began a career as the shop seward/board officer for his union working with Hollywood Park, Del Mar, Santa Anita, Los Alamitos, Los Angeles County Fair, and the Oak tree Racing Organization. After retiring from his time in the parking lots and union halls, Bob began working as the executive director for the Winners Foundation, an employee assistance group that helped employees find referrals for drug, alcohol, addiction and mental health difficulties. His office door was always open and if someone wanted/needed help Bob was there.

His family was his rock. With his wife Rebecca, Bob’s love of road trips continued after children came along. Most spring breaks were spent driving to Breckenridge, Colorado for snow sports and fun with Grammy Bow. There were trips to the Bay area, Indiana, Texas and Florida for family reunions with loving memories of car rides to north county San Diego for summer stays by the ocean. During trips, cars were filled with music, laughter, 20 questions, Nintendo sounds and the “silence game.”

Bob spent the majority of his life in La Crescenta guiding his children, building a home, being a loving partner and volunteering in his community. He was involved in Valley View and Monte Vista Elementary Foundation, FBCLC Vacation Bible School, and Rosemont Middle School PTA. At CV High School he often volunteered and wore many hats, but his favorite was booster club president for Falcon football and Prom Plus. Bob was always there for kids; he ran four LA Marathons with Students Run LA, helping them feel the triumph of finishing! He volunteered with the Boy/Cub Scouts for over 20 years. Both of his sons became Eagle Scouts, and Bob truly helped many young men achieve their goals in Scouts. Even after his boys aged out of Scouts, Bob continued to volunteer and earned the highest level of Boy Scout adult leadership, Woodbadge, and the Silver Beaver Award. He cherished his adult Scout training and Woodbadge were some of his favorite weekends! Bob began his Scouting career as a young man in the Hollywood-Wilshire District Boy Scouts of America – Los Angeles California in the 1960s.

Bob volunteered for Prom Plus even after his kids graduated and he continued to attend and spend the night looking over “his kids.” He loved to talk and help guide them thru the “glory days” of high school. He volunteered as a coach for Y Winners basketball league with the Cañada Crescenta YMCA. Bob helped with many community events, especially yearly veteran memorials with the American Legion Post 288 and was also a CV CERT member. Bob was named volunteer of the year in 2005 by the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce. One of his favorite awards was The Presidents’ Award from Valley View Elementary that was given to him and Rebecca together as a couple for each holding leadership roles each year their child attended.

Character meant a great deal to Bob. For over 30 years, Bob was a recovering alcoholic. He believed his work with AA helped restore his character and he held on to its tenets for the remainder of this life. He personally knew about falling down and, because of this, he was always willing to help a person up. He lived by the Golden Rule, the 12 steps and his marriage vows.

He is survived by his wife of 33 years Rebecca; sons James and Adam; sisters Joni Franco (Rudy), Lona Quinn, Betty Poushay; sister-in-law Sarah Burger; nieces Susi Franco and Cynthia Cruz; and the Cruz family: John, Helene and Matthew, Uncle CJ and Aunt Jean; his Texas family, the Snyders; and an incredible extended family of friends, parents, veterans and community folks. 

We will miss his smile, helpfulness, hugs, conversations and the compassion he showed and lived by.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. at Brand Park, studio rooms 1 & 2, 1601 W. Mountain St. in Glendale.

The gift that Bob would most want given in his memory would be to volunteer in your communities.