Robert O. Dehlendorf II

1931 - 2020

Bob Dehlendorf, who helped found a national park, built multiple businesses, inspired a best-selling novel, and fought to right wrongs, died of natural causes on March 5, 2020 in Monterey, California. He was 88.

Bob led a truly remarkable and rich life.

As CEO of Arcata National in Menlo Park, CA, Bob built a timber operation into a conglomerate that employed 10,000 people. During that time, he worked with Lady Bird Johnson and the Johnson Administration to create and expand Redwood National Park.

Bob once owned ski areas in the Lake Tahoe, a film and video company in Chicago and a working cattle ranch in Livingston, MT where the movie "The Horse Whisperer" was shot.

While living in Northern Italy, Bob stumbled on and helped unearth the story of WWII hero Pino Lella, which became the basis of the 2017 best-selling novel, "Beneath a Scarlet Sky."

Bob consistently fought for the underdog in business, through his philanthropy, and in his volunteer work. In the late 1960s, he served on the President's Advisory Council on Minority Economic Opportunity. He served on advisory councils to Harvard and Stanford University. In the days after 9/11, Bob was a relief worker at Ground Zero.

In the months before he passed, Bob said, "I want to be remembered as a man who tried in good faith to right the wrong inflicted on innocent people."

Robert O. Dehlendorf II was born on May 13, 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri, the eldest son of Robert O. Dehlendorf and Louise B. A gifted athlete and better student, Bob graduated Amherst College Phi Beta Kappa and married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Landis, on June 17, 1953.

He graduated from the Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar in 1955 and served three years as an officer in the US Army Finance Corps before entering the private sector. In 1965, after helping to found Microwave Electronics in Palo Alto, CA, Bob was asked to lead Arcata National, which he eventually took public.

Tragedy struck in 1971, when Bob lost Patricia, the love of his life, to an untimely death. Grief-stricken, Bob stepped down from Arcata to care for his children.

He moved them to Chicago in 1973 along with his second wife, Suzy Carter, and her children. Bob worked as an investment banker. The marriage did not last.

Bob moved back to California a single man in 1977 only to meet the second love of his life, Joan Gustavson. They married later that year and spent the rest of their days together, splitting much of their time between California and Montana.

In 2000, Bob and Joan decided to move to northern Italy for a year. There, by chance, he ran into the unsung hero, Pino Lella. Bob was the first person to hear most of Lella's story and he spent the next few years passionately trying to find someone to tell it as a book or a film. Teaming with author Mark Sullivan and seeing the book published and then read by millions of people was a highlight of Bob's life.

Bob is survived by friends all over the world and his wife, Joan Gustavson Dehlendorf; his two children by Patricia: Deborah D. Kallase of Fort Collins, CO, Scott R. Dehlendorf (Jaqueline) of Bozeman, MT; and five grandchildren: Adria, Scott, Katie, Amanda, and Kate. He also left behind three stepsons: Robert T. Lincoln (Laurie) of Carmel, CA, Jeffrey S. Lincoln (Lin) of Cherry Hill, NJ, and Christopher B. Lincoln of Salt Lake City, UT; and seven grandchildren: Katharine, Andrew, Wesley, Kristen, Alexandra, Spencer and Scout. He is also survived by his brother David A. Dehlendorf (Susie) of San Juan Island, WA. He was predeceased by brother Michael A. Dehlendorf (Connie) of Columbus, OH.

The family would like to extend its gratitude and appreciation to the incredible team who cared for Bob over the last years, including the Forest Hill staff, the Heartland Hospice staff and especially Erica Wade.

A celebration of Bob's life will take place in Pebble Beach once it is safe to gather again.