Robert Marshall Hosfeldt

Robert Marshall Hosfeldt Passed away on Monday, December 15th, 2008 surrounded by his beloved wife, Blanche, his daughter, Bobbie Lynne Ward, son in law, Geoffrey Ward, and his grandchildren, Blake Robert and Blaire Ann Ward. Bob was born in Los Angeles on April 23, 1933. He attended Los Angeles elementary schools until his family moved to Porterville, California. Bob attended Strathmore High School in Strathmore, California, about six miles from Porterville. He lettered in football, basketball, and track and field. He was blessed with an outstanding singing voice and was also active in Student Theater where he had leading roles in the junior and senior plays. Upon graduation, in 1951, he joined the Navy. He was chosen honor man of his recruit company and also honors man of his navy Interior Communication's school. He and his brother, Don, served for two years together aboard the USS Abnaki, ATF 96. Bob also served on the USS Chemung, AO 30 for 18 months prior to his honorable discharge from the Navy as an Interior Communications Technician, 1st Class. Bob entered San Jose State University in 1955 as a freshman music major. He pledged Kappa Alpha fraternity, and it was there at an exchange with the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority he met his future wife, Blanche Fritzen. Bob earned his BA in Radio and Television in 1959 from San Jose State University. After graduation, Bob started work at KNTV, as an announcer-director. It was June of 1959. Bob continued with his education while working full time at KNTV. He received his Master's Degree in Communications from San Jose State in 1961. He was appointed Program Director of the station that same year. It was while being interviewed for Program Director that he first met Allen Gilliland. With the help of Al Gilliland, Bob became very successful at KNTV and later at Gill Cable. Al was the entrepreneur and Bob was his Chief Operating Officer. Bob was given the title of Vice-President of Gill Industries and General Manager of KNTV in September of 1965. He continued with his education and received a Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University in 1968. KNTV was sold in 1978 and Bob moved over to the company's Cable Television operation, Gill Cable. Bob was named Chief Executive Officer, President of Gill Industries and General Manager of Gill Cable. Bob's experience in Television programming allowed him to bring many innovations to Gill Cable. He started movie channels before there was an HBO and an all-sports channel before there was an ESPN. He created and coined the term Pay-Per-View which offered sports and other programs in a major urban market on a pay-per-view basis years before the industry became aware of the income potential of per program offerings. He also founded the Bay Area Interconnect during his first few years at Gill Cable. The advertising potential of cable television had never been give serious consideration prior to the BAI. Bob worked out an agreement between all of the San Francisco Bay Area Cable operators where they were interconnected via micro-wave. The BAI was able to offer advertisers the opportunity to reach over two million cable homes instantly making cable advertising competitive with over the air television stations. The Interconnect idea quickly spread throughout the country. Gill Cable grew from about 40,000 to 140,000 subscribers from 1978 to 1988 when the company was sold. Gill Cable was considered the most innovative system in the country and was selected by the National Cable Television Association as a must see for visitors from other countries interested in the medium. Bob was extremely active in community affairs. He was a two term president of San Jose State's Spartan Foundation and a two term president of the San Jose State Alumni Association. He served on many boards including the Chamber of Commerce, the Police Activities League, and Youth Focus, Inc. He was selected as the Man of the Year by the Santa Clara Scout Council in 1988. He was named as the Tower Award recipient in 1985, San Jose State University's highest honor. He was a member of Santa Cruz Rotary. He was selected "Rotarian of the Year" by the Santa Cruz Rotary Club for the 2006-2007, an honor of which he was extremely proud. Following the sale of Gill Cable, Bob became President of Gill Properties, a real estate development company. He was also managing trustee of the Gilliland Trust, a charitable trust set up when Allen Gilliland passed away in 1991. Bob and Blanche both enjoyed genealogy and traveled throughout the country and the world searching for the homes of their ancestors. Without question, Bob was most proud of his family. He and Blanche had two children. The saddest moment in their lives was when their only son, Brett, was killed in an airplane accident in 1978. He was 20 years old. Their daughter, Bobbie Lynne, was all any parents could hope for, and she brought them much joy with her sparkling personality and a God-given voice. Bobbie and her husband, Geoff gave Bob and Blanche two beautiful grandchildren, Blake Robert and Blaire Ann Ward. Bob loved the adage, "If I had known that Grandchildren were so much fun I would have had them first!" He is survived by his wife, Blanche, his daughter, Bobbie Lynne Ward, his son in law, Geoff, and his grandchildren, Blake Robert and Blaire Ann Ward. He's also survived by sister in law, Rosalie Esser of Torrance, California and her children, Mark and Jan Esser of San Pedro, California, Matthew and Shannon Esser of Simi Valley, California, Gale and Tom Mercurio of San Jose, California, sister in law Doris Hosfeldt of Porterville, California and her children, Doug Hosfeldt of Porterville, California, Dawn and Mark Golden of Oak View, California, Diane and Jeff Valine of Ventura, California, and Dana and Brad Collins of Porterville, California, niece Karen and Ron McKenzie of Redondo Beach, California, and nephew Larry and Grace Fritzen of San Jose, California, and many, many great nieces and great nephews. He is preceded in death by his son, Brett Cameron Hosfeldt, parents Paul and Alma Hosfeldt, Brother Don Hosfeldt, brothers in law Bill Esser and Larry Fritzen, sister in law Ellie Fritzen. A private family service will be held in Santa Cruz, California, and a memorial service celebrating Roberts's life will be held at a later time and date TBA. Donations rather than flowers should be sent to the Brett Hosfeldt Memorial Scholarship at San Jose State University, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Scotts Valley High School. For further information please call Santa Cruz Memorial – Mission Chapel, 831-426-1601.