Robert Keith Bullock

1926 - 2013

Robert Keith Bullock, who was sports editor and news editor of The Monterey County Herald for 43 years before his retirement in May 1992, was found dead Thursday, July 18 in his Monterey home.
Mr. Bullock, who was known simply as Bob, never called in sick at The Herald in more than 10,200 days on the job, always working under deadline and, as a one-man sports department, often editing an afternoon page on Friday morning and coming back at night to edit a Saturday morning section. Bob, who always had a smile even while grouchy on deadline, also wrote a daily "Press Box" column, covering local athletes and their careers after they left the Peninsula.
After his retirement, Mr. Bullock became a noontime fixture at the Monterey Sports Center, always reading a paperback novel while exercising, and almost always jogging, more like a hurried walk, from his home to the center and back.
Mr. Bullock recently agreed to fund an annual scholarship program at Monterey Peninsula College to encourage students to study journalism and mass communication. "I was fortunate to have other people contribute to my education, so I want to give back," Mr. Bullock said in April.
Mr. Bullock made it possible for aspiring high school journalists to get their first bylines in The Herald. "Shortest and soonest" was his constant plea. It was an expression he carried over to the news desk.
Born August 26, 1926, in Redding (Shasta County), Mr. Bullock grew up in Willows and was a star basketball player at Willows (Glenn County Union) High School. He went on to receive Bachelor's and Masters' degrees from Stanford University after serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II.
Mr. Bullock once said he wanted to be a cartoonist or a librarian when he was in high school. He kept meticulous records at The Herald about local sports and events. He also had an extensive library and video collection, which he always shared with his colleagues.
Early in his career, Mr. Bullock attended opening-day games of the San Francisco Giants, and he vacationed in New York City to take in Broadway plays. He was also known as a gracious host for volleyball games and movie nights, often with local military students at the Naval Postgraduate School and Defense Language Institute.
Visitation will take place at The Paul Mortuary this Tuesday, July 30 from 4:00-6:00 PM with funeral services the next day, July 31 at 12:00 Noon, also at the mortuary followed by burial at Monterey City Cemetery. Any memorial contributions should be made to the Robert K. Bullock Journalism Scholarship at Monterey Peninsula College Foundation, 980 Fremont St., Monterey, CA 93940. Please visit www.thepaulmortuary.com to sign Mr. Bullock's guest book.