Robert John Schauer

1934 - 2014

Robert John Schauer
1934 - 2014
Resident of Palo Alto
Robert Schauer, who lived in Palo Alto for over 50 years, died on August 16. Born and raised in Hartford, Wisconsin, he was the son of Harold Schauer and Dorothy Goetsch. During his school years, Bob was active in the high school band and won two state music prizes. As a freshman at the University of Wisconsin, he played in the school band, which accompanied the football team to the Rose Bowl,in 1953, giving Bob his first experience of California. After earning his Electrical Engineering degree, he accepted a job with Sylvania Electronic System Laboratories in Mountain View and was sent to work in Turkey.
As a part-time graduate student at Stanford, he met his future wife, Kay Smith. After his return to the US, they married, and soon left to work in Kaiserslautern and Frankfurt, Germany, where their oldest son was born. During their time in Germany, Bob and Kay traveled extensively, visiting most of Europe and the Mideast.
In 1964, they returned to Palo Alto, and soon bought the home in which they still live. Later that year, their second son was born. The family spent leisure time backpacking, cycling, and playing tennis. They were also active in many progressive social causes.
After his retirement, Bob worked as the Business Manager for Unity Church, overseeing the construction of a new sanctuary on Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. In 1989, he and Kay jointly began a new career, running their own tax preparation business. In 2004, they retired and continued traveling, visiting every continent and making many close friends along the way. Bob was also a faithful volunteer for Canopy, always doing much more than requested, and both he and Kay were active Emergency Service Volunteers, particularly within their neighborhood. Bob also participated in the PAMF cancer support group for sixteen years.
In 2013, the prostate cancer which had been in remission returned, and Bob left off traveling. During the time of his illness, he was visited by friends and family members, all of whom contributed to the happy memories of his last few months. Since January, a friend who played guitar came to the Schauer home once a week to lead a sing-along for Bob. Joined by his family and his many friends, Bob had a wonderful time singing favorites from the forties, fifties and sixties.
Bob is survived by his wife, Kay, and two sons, Steve, (Ronnie) Schauer, of Needham, MA, and Mike Schauer, of Palo Alto and Thailand, and by his three grandchildren, Tom, Katy and Tori. He is also survived by his two brothers, Richard Schauer, of Ft. Atkinson, WI, and John Schauer, of Milan, MI, and their families, and by many cousins and dear friends.
There will be a private celebration of life service for Bob later this year. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Bob's name can be sent to Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94301 attn: office of Philanthropy, http://www.pamf.org/giving/, or to a charity of your choice.