August 20, 1932–September 6, 2017
Robert Deal “Bob” Redford passed peacefully in his home on September 6 at the age of 85. Bob was born on August 20, 1932 in Los Angeles to Algenon Abraham Redford and Marian McCune Groesbeck. He spent most of his childhood in La Cañada-Flintridge, California where his family resided until 1956. He attended La Cañada Grammar School, Marshall Junior High School and John Muir High School, where he played the trumpet and received varsity letters for all major sports. He especially excelled in tennis and competed at the state and national level as a junior doubles tennis player.
He began his undergraduate studies at Stanford University in 1950, majoring in economics with an accounting minor and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in pre-law. During his undergraduate years, he played on the Stanford men’s tennis team and valued the friendships with his fraternity brothers in Delta Tau Delta; during his law school years, he was active in the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.
Bob met his wife, Joan Blanchard, when she was teaching school in the Bay Area and he was in his second year of law school; they were married on June 21, 1956 following his graduation from Stanford Law School and they recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary.
He was very proud of his daughter, Lori, and his three granddaughters, Katie, Kimberley and Kristine, and enjoyed supporting them in their many activities as they grew up, making regular visits to their home in Idaho.
Bob practiced corporate tax law and estate planning in Los Angeles for 41 years. In 1956, he joined the law firm of Adams, Duque and Hazeltine where he became a partner and practiced at that firm until 1981. Subsequently, he joined seven senior partners from that firm to start the Los Angeles office of Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, an international law firm where he practiced until his retirement in 1997. He was professionally affiliated with the Los Angeles County, California State, and American Bar Associations, as well as the Association of Tax Counsel, a professional society comprised of leading members of the Tax Bar.
Bob was never worried about being bored in his retirement years. In addition to golf, travel and family, he enjoyed woodworking and cabinetry, and spending time landscaping and gardening at their home in San Marino, where they have resided for 45 years. Along with his wife, Joan, he was a member of the Society of Fellows at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. He valued his long-standing memberships and friendships at Annandale Country Club, the Jonathan Club of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Men’s Garden Club. He chaired numerous finance and endowment committees, served on the San Marino Library Board, as president of the board of managers of the South Pasadena-San Marino YMCA and as president of the Valley Club of San Marino. In addition, he was an active Rotarian, starting with LA 5 while working in downtown LA and then later, upon retirement, in the Rotary Club of San Marino. Bob’s love for classical and jazz music led him to be a dedicated supporter of the Pasadena Symphony and the Summer Pops Concert Series at Descanso Gardens and, in recent years, at the LA County Arboretum.
Bob was pre-deceased by his parents and two daughters, Lynn Louise and Susan Elizabeth, as well as his brother-in-law, Warren Blanchard and cousin Milton “Buzz” Redford. He is survived by his wife, Joan, and his daughter, Lori Redford Turner, of Boise, Idaho, his three granddaughters, Katie Turner of Irvine, California, Kimberley Turner Johnson (Marcus) of of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Kristine Turner of Austin, Texas. In addition, he is survived by his sister, Jane Redford Fiedler Gustafson of Pasadena and his nieces, Lisa Fryman and Leslie Fiedler (Greer Murphy) and their children, as well as his sister-in-law, Tracey Blanchard and cousin Helen Hasselman (Peter) both of Orinda, CA. He loved his family well, and we will miss his great sense of humor, his encouragement to work hard and strive for excellence, his wisdom, and most of all his presence. We would also like to thank the loving and committed caregivers who helped our family in recent months.
There will be a service in celebration of Bob’s life on Saturday October 7 at 1pm at San Marino Community Church, 1750 Virginia Road, San Marino, CA, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob’s memory to The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino or to a charity of your choice.
