Robert Grethel passed away peacefully on April 23, 2024. Bob (or Bobby), as his friends and family called him, was born in 1945 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was raised primarily by his widowed father and older sister. He studied physics at the University of New Mexico, and there met his wife, Helen Louise Coomes.
Bob and Louise were married in 1969 and moved to Southern California, where Bob obtained his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Southern California. They moved to the Conejo Valley in 1977 to raise their family, and Bob lived in Thousand Oaks for the next 47 years.
Bob engineered aerospace navigation systems at Litton Guidance and Control, and then Northrop Grumman, for his entire professional life before retiring in 2010. He had a passion for math and for teaching, serving over the years in various forms to elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as teaching occasional college classes at Moorpark College and Pepperdine University, and even tutoring students well into his retirement.
Bob and Louise hosted a large annual Easter egg hunt and brunch, as well as numerous social gatherings from volleyball parties to bridge nights. Active in his children’s schools, Bob served as a member and as president on site councils and was instrumental in improving safety for children traveling to and from school.
Never one to be idle, Bob was an avid runner, winning numerous Conejo Valley races, and he could be found on many a pick-up basketball court. In his later years, he was a regular on the golf course multiple times each week. Bob loved the outdoors, including hiking and backpacking locally, but mostly in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where he made annual week-long pilgrimages. He loved cooking. Being a perfectionist made him an excellent chef, and he had numerous outstanding recipes to his credit. He loved live music, attending local concerts in the park and the Austin City Limits Music Festival annually. After seeing much of the United States on family road trips in the 80’s, Bob’s passion in his later years became traveling internationally with his partner, Enid.
Bob cared admirably for his wife Louise, who suffered from debilitating Multiple Sclerosis for many years, and who we lost in 2014. He joins her now in heaven. He is survived by his three children, Erich, Miriam, and Bobby, as well as by his sister, Sister Mary Jo Grethel, and his partner Enid Miller. He was also a proud “Opa” to nine grandchildren (Caden, Helen, Gracie, Anne, Thomas, CJ, Michael, Magdalene, and Robert), who he taught card games and math and sports. Bob had a gentle intellect that he shared with those he loved. He was a caring friend, a loving husband, a beloved Opa, and an amazing dad.
Family and friends are invited to attend a funeral mass at St Jude’s Catholic Church (32032 Lindero Canyon Rd, Westlake Village) on Thursday, May 16th at 10:00 preceded by a viewing at 9:30. Visitation with the family will follow at his residence. The family asks that those wishing to honor Bob do so by donating to any of his interested charities: The Sierra Club, National Parks Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, or Medical Mission Sisters.
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