More detail on this person: Bob passed away
July 13th, 2013 in the company of his wife and
children. He was born on June 19th, 1943 in St
Louis, Mo, to Herman William "Curly" and Marie
(Schulte) Albers, the second of two sons. Bob
attended St Mary's Catholic High School in South
St. Louis where he was a basketball and track
standout. He graduated from St. Louis University
in 1965 with a degree in Electrical Engineering,
and a sweetheart still in SLU Nursing School. Bob
worked in industrial sales until late 1967 when
his country called him into service with the
United States Air Force. Bob married his
sweetheart Jo Ann in 1968 before attending pilot
training in Texas. They had two sons and a
daughter between 1969 and 1975, and shuttled their
young family around the country as Bob served in
various Air Force assignments across the US and
abroad as an airlift and helicopter pilot,
including a tour in Vietnam. Bob retired from
service in 1987, and for the next 22 years worked
as an engineer for United Technologies and later,
Lockheed-Martin at various locations in Southern
California and the Bay Area. Sonoma County
residents since 2004, Bob and Jo Ann maintained a
warm, welcoming home with a small but productive
backyard vineyard that Bob loved tending,
especially after he retired the second time. CAVU
was what he called his vineyard: Ceiling and
Visibility Unlimited. It was a piloting term
describing ideal flying conditions, and reflecting
a personal motto that one should "never look
back." Bob and Jo, married 45 years, loved hosting
family and friends wherever they made their home.
Bob was a gentle giant, who never had an enemy,
but his presence was as commanding and
intimidating as a lion. He was generous, loving,
patient, thoughtful, devout, genuinely
unflappable, instantly likeable and the finest
father and husband imaginable. He battled
pancreatic cancer for two and a half years with
incredible dignity, even to the end. He is
survived by his loving and devoted wife Jo Ann,
sons Aaron and Matthew, daughter Genevieve, and
six grandchildren. A memorial service will be held
at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 1244 St Francis Rd
in Santa Rosa, on Saturday, July 20th. In lieu of
flowers, donations can be made to KQED or the
Wounded Warrior Project.org.
Published in the Press Democrat from July 16 to
July 17, 2013
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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