Robert Brendan Joseph Grubbs

1969 - 2021

Robert Brendan Joseph Grubbs
September 5, 1969 - December 30, 2021
Resident of San Francisco, CA
Robert, age 52, died in the early morning of December 30, after struggling for several years with lung cancer and bone cancer due to melanoma, which had metastasized. Bob is the second of six sons, born in San Francisco to
Mary and David Grubbs. The week of his first birthday the family moved to Pleasanton, and immediately met and made life-long friends. Bob attended Alisal Elementary School, Assumption School in San Leandro where he was the school editor of the monthly paper. He is a graduate of Moreau Catholic, class of '87. He was active in student government, school theater, and did his utmost to make school fun, tempered with honors classes. During the summer he worked at the Alameda Co. Fair, was a YMCA camp counselor, and assisted his mother as a counselor with her fifth-grade outdoor education week.
Bob had a raucous sense of humor and a generous and perceptive heart. His keen sense of observation and judgment allowed him to comment or text his brothers with his joy or frustration particularly when it centered around
the San Francisco Forty-Niners.
Following college at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, he took a sabbatical exploring various occupations: park ranger, cultivating garden nurseries, and illustrating medical journals. He settled on culinary school. This led to a position at the Wente Vineyards Restaurant in Livermore. He relished his years there as did his younger brothers. Bob encouraged the owners to establish a herb garden which he did. He moved to San Francisco, worked as a chef in several noted restaurants, and was generous with his talents often volunteering for charitable fund raisers. He met Diana in San Francisco. He was a devoted father to his son Noah, age 14.
The cancer curtailed his health and stamina. Eventually he resigned himself to the cancer treatments and return to what he loved most – father-son activities, working in the kitchen, and his family. He is survived by his parents Mary and David Grubbs, his ex-wife Diana, his son, Noah, his brothers, John, Patrick (Andrea), Carl, Daniel (Lisa), and Benjamin (Sok). He was the favorite uncle of Clarissa, Annabelle, John, Grady, Joe, Jack, Andrew, Ava, Nico, Abe, Fitz, Joshua, Anneliese, and Delaney. He will be missed by many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 15, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. at St. Augustine Church, 3999 Bernal Ave. Pleasanton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to U.C.S.F. Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Melanoma Program, 1825 4th St. 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA 94158. Attn: Dr. Tsai; or the college fund for Noah c/o John Grubbs, P.O. Box 5218, Pleasanton, CA 94566, or your favorite charity.
The Grubbs family thanks all for your kindness and expressions of sympathy.


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