Robert Blakey Jr.

Blakey, Robert Jr.
born September 21, 1945 in Albuquerque, NM, passed away February 24th in Prescott, AZ. Bobby B, as he was known to his friends and family, was raised in Phoenix, AZ where his family, including his parents, Robert and Edith and his two brothers Larry and Craig, moved to in 1947. He attended Madison Elementary School #1 and Camelback High School. At Camelback High, Bob was a stellar student and a dominate pitcher on the baseball team. The Arizona Republic referred to him as "Bullet Bob Blakey." After turning down an opportunity to play professional baseball for the Detroit Tigers, Bob attend Amherst College in Amherst, MA. During his time at Amherst, Bob continued to shine as a student, athlete and musician. After a career-ending injury to his pitching arm, he turned to rugby. After four years of playing on the Amherst Rugby Club, Bob brought rugby back to Arizona in 1967. As the father of Arizona rugby, including women's rugby, he started the Arizona Rugby Union and was its first President. Bob began his music career as a drummer at Amherst. His first notable group was named the Flower and Vegetable Show after he saw that name on the marquee of the Boston Women's Club. At Amherst, he was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity where he made many lifelong friends and enjoyed some of the best times of his life. After graduating from Amherst in 1967, Bob moved back to Arizona and began his first year of law school at ASU. After a year of school, he took time off and moved to Hawaii with his band to follow his musical dreams. He spent a year surfing and playing in some of Hawaii's great nightspots. Later in 1967, Bob's band Motion found success opening for acts such as Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, Gary Puckett and Alice Cooper in various venues around Phoenix. Bob then returned to ASU to complete law school. During this time he met his wife of 37 years, Carol Fuhr. After falling in love and marrying on November 19, 1971, Bob and Carol started their life's adventure that included having two daughters, Rhette and Ashley.. They eventually moved to Prescott, AZ in 1989 where Bob touched the lives of many people, especially young people. He coached school teams in several sports and he was a familiar face at his daughters' many track, cross country and volleyball games. Bob began his own law practice in Prescott where he had a 30 year career, primarily in real estate law. On his 50th birthday, Bob reconnected with his band Lefty. After recording another album together, the band played many gigs in Prescott's Jersey Lilly Saloon and other spots around town. Travel was one of Bob's many passions and the Blakey Family had many world adventures that included trips to Africa, Thailand, Spain, Mexico and many places in between. Out of all of Bob's accomplishments and adventures, his family was always closest and dearest to his heart. In the last year of his life, he was able to walk his eldest daughter down the aisle and was present at the engagement of his younger daughter. With all of Bob's strength and vitality, he was diagnosed with stage four melanoma and lost the battle in 6 short months. His last days were spent surrounded in the warmth and affection of his family. Bob was many things to many people. He was a wonderful father, husband, brother and son. He was an exemplary student, athlete, musician and friend. Bob's life touched so many others and he will be greatly missed by us all. He is survived by his bothers, Larry and Craig Blakey, and his daughters, Rhette Buller and Ashley Blakey. Please log on to www.ruffnerwakelin.com to sign Paul's guestbook and share a memory with the family.