Robert Elliot Fern

May 23, 1942 - March 26, 2022 Robert Fern, writer, humorist and raconteur, passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 26, 2022 at the age of 79. For the past 50 years, he was a resident of Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades.
Bob was born in Brooklyn, New York on May 23, 1942. His father Sidney Fern was a native New Yorker. His mother, Sonia Pinchasoff Fern, came to America from Bukhara, now a part of Uzbekistan. Bob loved to refer to his "exotic" background, but he was a Brooklyn boy through and through. A treasured memory from his boyhood was meeting Jackie Robinson after a Dodgers game at Ebbets Field. His signed photograph held pride of place in Bob's home.
Bob attended P.S. 92, Walt Whitman Junior High School, and Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, where his classmates were Barbra Streisand and Bobby Fischer, the chess champion. Bob was a member of the marching band, where he played the tuba. Not because he was any good at it, he said, but he was the only one big enough to carry it.
Bob enjoyed summer camp, where one year he received First prize for Junior Rifle Marksmanship. He was quite proud of this achievement, although he never touched a gun again in his life.
He received a B.A. in English from Syracuse University, where he was editor of the school newspaper, The Orange. After graduating in 1964, Bob drove to Los Angeles to attend UCLA Film School. His classmates included Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek of The Doors. In this Bohemian environment, Bob stood out partly because he was the only student in the Film Department who regularly wore a suit. But more than Bob's look distinguished him.
His hilarious impressions of the people and situations he encountered in the 60's "scene" kept his classmates in thrall. And all this without a trace of malice. He was just funny. With the fun being most often poked at himself.
After film school, Bob taught English at the Lycee Francais de Los Angeles. Extremely popular with both students and faculty, he remained in touch with several of his students for years.
Early in his career, Bob made a brief foray into standup comedy, but he soon realized he preferred the movie business. However, his character, "Bobby Havana" became a lifelong alter-ego for Bob. He delighted in this fantasy persona, with his tropical attire and louche, semi-sinister romantic charm.
In the early seventies, Bob partnered Richard Blackburn to co-create the horror film "Lemora -- A Child's Tale of the Supernatural." The film was released in 1973 and became a cult classic. "Lemora" continues to be screened in horror film festivals around the world.
During their years together, Bob and his partner Jane Langley traveled extensively and no matter where they travelled, he would return home with stories of his adventures and misadventures.
Always energetic, he was a regular at the basketball courts in Venice for decades, and he continued to play tennis and hike until late in his life. He was a lover of books, the theater, the Dodgers, the Lakers, all kinds of food and restaurants, and, of course, the movies. Bob's curiosity and delight in the world around him was boundless.
Bob lived with Alzheimer's for the last twelve years of his life. His final years were spent at Silverado Place, a memory care residence, where he was a favorite with the staff and other residents, always smiling, laughing, and the first one to get up to dance.
Bob Fern was fun. But above all, he was a lovely man with a kind and generous spirit who will be greatly missed. He is survived by his sister Tami Fern and her wife Sue Kallevic, his cousins David and Daniel Pinchas, his longtime companion Jane Langley and their rescue dog Murray.
Contributions may be made to The Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10001.