Sept. 17, 1929 – Nov. 1, 2019

Bob was born in Oxnard to parents Charles Robert “C.R.” Western and Dorothy Hester Seevers on Sept. 17, 1929. Bob and his younger brother Jack were raised throughout the California area. Bob’s father, C.R., was in sales, which meant the family moved where work prevailed. During Bob’s elementary school years, he attended several local Glendale schools. Bob graduated from Fresno High School and began college at Fresno State. Soon after, Bob decided he wanted to serve our country and enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 18 years old in 1948 and participated in the Korean War. He served for seven years, being discharged in 1955.

Bob met his wife, Shirley Jean Moser, through his first cousin Dorothy Seevers, who happened to be Shirley’s best friend from kindergarten at Horace Mann Grammar School in Glendale. Throughout the years, Shirley became acquainted with the Western family through her friend Dorothy. After dating a mere six months, Bob and Shirley married on Aug. 21, 1954 at North Glendale Methodist Church in Glendale. Bob and Shirley were blessed with four children; Linda, Chris, Ken and Denise.

Bob worked with Pacific Telephone and AT&T for 32 years, retiring in 1986. He and Shirley resided in Glendale and La Crescenta and called Oak Circle Drive their home for 54 years. Bob and Shirley also celebrated 65 years of marriage this past summer.

Bob’s passion for baseball was shown through the Crescenta Sports Association as he managed his four children’s baseball teams and was very active with the CSA Umpiring League, umpiring for over 20 years. Bob has been well known in the community for his baseball work and always got a chuckle being approached by grown and bearded men calling him “Coach.” When asked by his wife, Shirley, who that was, he always said, “I don’t know, they didn’t have facial hair back when I coached them!” Most importantly, Bob instilled in his players that it was not about winning or losing; the game was like a lesson in life where good sportsmanship and “how” they played the game was of uppermost importance.

Retirement for Bob brought private and corporate telephone work, with him serving on local and federal election boards for 20 years as well as travel agency work. The years following took Bob and Shirley to the skies and the seas traveling to over 45 countries and cruising on over 40 cruises. The couple’s favorite destination was Hawaii.

Bob is survived by his wife, Shirley; son Ken A. Western; daughter Denise L. Western-Merhoff; 12 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He is pre-deceased by daughter Linda M. Western-Thompkins and son Chris R. Western.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 18 from noon to 3 p.m. at Barragan’s Mexican Restaurant, 730 No. Victory Blvd. in Burbank. The service and remembrance will be casual and include a luncheon.