Robert Otto Benz

BENZ, ROBERT OTTO Robert Otto Paul Benz, Bob as his friends knew him, was a loving husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather, passed away on July 21, 2009. His parents, Otto and Harriet, raised Bob with his cousin Ginny Norstrem in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Bob kept in touch with many of his Minnesota friends throughout his life. Two words describe Bob Benz, "automatic friend." At the age of 19, Bob joined the Marine Corps in Camp Pend-leton, California in charge of the dispensing supplies, where he made many friends. In 1963, Bob graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a Bachelors Degree in Business. Early in has career, Bob was a communications pioneer, selling beepers, two-way radios and some of the very first cell phones for Motorola. Many of Bob's best friends in life came during his days selling beepers. But, his biggest challenge in his life was raising his three stepsons who became his boys with his wife of 31 years, Sonny. Bob was the equalizer, a person that one went to for advice, support and balance. Bob loved to cook and barbeque, and having a meal at the Benz house was a special occasion. Later in life, Bob became involved in commercial real estate, selling and managing buildings and running his own company in Solana Beach, Pacific Real Estate Group. Bob made many friends in real estate. Bob is survived in life by his wife Sonny Benz of La Jolla; stepsons Lance, Matt and Grant Milbrand, as well as ten grand-children and three cousins. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, Mail # Dev, St. Paul, MN 55105 or UC Regents, c/o Donations for Pulmonary Hypertension Program, 9300 Campus Point Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037-7381. Services will be held on Thursday July 30th, 10:30 a.m. at Saint Brigid Catholic Church, 4735 Cass Street, Pacific Beach, CA. Private inurnment will be held at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at a later date.