Robert Allen Olah

Robert Allen Olah, age 75, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2023, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, after a brief illness.Bob was born in Wisconsin to Steve and Ann Olah and was raised on the family farm near Westboro. He graduated from Westboro High School and received his Bachelor's Degree in Science, majoring in Electrical Engineering, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That experience shaped him into a lifelong UW sports fan and was where he met his wife, Kristie. They married in June 1969 and built a life together, raising three wonderful children. Bob was a great dad and grandpa.Bob's career as a semiconductor designer and engineering manager led the family all over the country. He started at Sperry Univac in Roseville, Minnesota, while he simultaneously completed his Master's of Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He moved on to work for Motorola in Austin, Texas; then Mostek/Commodore International in West Chester, PA; and VLSI Technology in Princeton, NJ, and San Jose. The family moved to the Bay Area in 1989, where Bob continued his career with Sierra Semiconductor, Xilinx, I-Cube, Lightspeed and several startup ventures. His collaborative designs resulted in 24 patents in his name.Bob was a kind man of deep faith and a member of the Los Altos United Methodist Church for 25 years. He enjoyed leading Bible or book studies and also served as a volunteer care minister. He sought to inspire others to explore their own spiritual questions. When Kristie felt called to study and serve as a pastor, Bob was very supportive, and participated in the congregations and settings she served. Bob is survived by his wife, Rev. Kristie Olah of Sunnyvale; son Ryan Olah (Kim) of Rocklin, CA; daughter Andrea Olah of Bellingham, WA; son Erik Olah (Heather) of San Jose, CA; grandchildren Brandon, Nathan, Sydney, Sadie, Matthew and Luke; and brothers Stephen Olah (Gail) of Rice Lake, WI and Richard Olah (Peggy) of Westboro, WI. He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Marjorie Shannon of La Crosse, and sisters and brothers-in-law Terry and Mark DeRubeis of Sarasota, FL, and Kerry and Kathy Shannon of Ankeny, IA.A memorial service will be held at Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Avenue, Los Altos, CA 94024, on July 1, 2023 at 1:30 pm. Donations in memory of Bob may be made to the Los Altos United Methodist Church, directed to the Robert Olah Fund for Spiritual Care.