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Bob DeFlores Obituary
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Robert "Bob" DeFlores,
Minneapolis's own jazz/film historian and archivist passed away peacefully with family at the age of 89 on February 14, 2025.
Born in San Francisco, son to Olivia Mock and Joaquin DeFlores, who were singers/entertainers in movies and nightclubs. Influenced by his parents' careers, he developed a love for movies and music at a young age. He started collecting and preserving films at the age of 15.
Studied at the University of Kansas.
Worked as an art director for Ellerbe Architects in Bloomington, MN, for several years before he pursued his passion for films full-time. His collection consists of jazz, big bands, female vocalists, cartoons, and many more from the 1920s and on. He has supplied footage for many documentaries, networks, Hollywood, and colleges, to name a few. In his later years, he enjoyed sharing his collection with seniors at nursing homes, taking them down memory lane and even jogging the memory of the Alzheimer patients. He was a people person and loved connecting people's interests with his movies. He's said many times, "Music is therapy," and truly loved what he did. He had many great friends and impacted a lot of people across the country.
Preceded in death by his wife Brenda. He is survived by his daughters Jennifer Cashman and Christina DeFlores, stepchildren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He will be missed by all of us. We will be having a celebration gathering at the Heights Theatre on Saturday, April 5th, at 12:00 noon, 3951 Central Ave NE Columbia Heights, MN 55421. Due to fire code, Heights Theatre has a maximum capacity. To RSVP please email [email protected]. Special thanks to Methodist Hospital and Regions Hospital, who cared for him in his final days.
Please send all your personal condolences to this email for his family to read. [email protected].
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Rob Rivera
July 15, 2025
I had the pleasure of working with Bob DeFlores and his film collection for a few years in the late 90´s along with Jim Batker at Prime Time Studios im Bloomington, MN. It was always a joy to hear the stories he would share about his coveted film collection. I recall his eyes would especially shine when he shared his family life experiences. He always had time to share a moment and a smile. Thanks Bob for everything. With Love, The Rivera Family
Ronald Arthur Hall
March 8, 2025
One of my oldest and dearest friends, Bob DeFlores, passed away on Feb. 14 at the age of 89. I met Bob soon after I moved to Minneapolis in 1969. We both attended screenings of "Monte Carlo" and other 30s musical being shown in a Univ. of Mn campus building. Since the audience consisted of only ten or so, it was not hard to meet.
Bob invited me to his office at Ellerbe Architects where his job was to render buildings for clients before they were built. Bob's real love was vintage movies, and especially Bing Crosby who he met and spent a day with shortly before Bing's passing in 1977. Bob showed Bing rare 16mm prints from his collection.
Our most elaborate collaboration was to produce "Bing Crosby's Road to Hollywood" (1997). You can enjoy it at https://www.facebook.com/Fesfilms
Nancy Stewart
March 6, 2025
Bob you were such a dear friend. Our special relationship started after the passing of my husband Timothy D. Kehr.
Bob I will never forget all our talks we had on the phone. Your last words were to me you are my very special friend Nancy and I truly care about you. Bob was always complimenting me. He loved my humor. Bob was the kindest sweetest loving man I had ever met. He loved his family and spoke often about his loving daughters. RIP Bob
Zachary Woller
March 5, 2025
We will miss you, Bob! From your friends at Denny´s Bakery.
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Steve Andersen
March 2, 2025
It is with great sadness that I heard today of Bob's passing. He was one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I've ever known. We shared a love of film and it was always a thrill when Bob brought some of his rare footage to show to a group of friends after a lively dinner and talk of old films and actors. He will be sorely missed by his family and the many friends he has made through his shared passions.
Mary Krugerud
March 2, 2025
I worked with Bob DeFlores and Carol Heen on the TPT production of Big Band Treasures (https://www.tpt.org/big-band-treasures/). We had hoped for a collaboration with Normandale Community College to develop a music history course that used his collection of rare Soundies (most easily described as black and white music films that played on a jukebox). His collection was so vast, and the project so time consuming, that we were never able to bring it to fruition. Bob was his own jukebox. Wind him up by ask him about an obscure jazz pianist and be prepared to end up 20 minutes later watching the Lindy Hoppers or the Mills Brothers. He knew how all of those amazing musicians were connected.
James McDonough
February 28, 2025
It is with sadness that I heard this afternoon of Bob's death. I had the honor off interviewing him for our "Art of Storytelling" program in January 2020 as part of our St. Louis Park Arts in the Park video magazine.
He followed his passion and in the process gave all of us access to examples of the art of film making that would have been destroyed forever. I last talked with him after his showing of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in November at the Lenox Theater. I had been hoping he would be able to present again Laurel and Hardy's "Out West" - one of my favs. Bob will be missed, but hopefully his legacy and gifts to us will live on.
Jim McDonough, St Louis Park
The Park Theater Company
Tracy M. Tolzmann
February 26, 2025
I met Bob in late August of 1977, and so began our long association as fellow film enthusiasts and collectors. An especially memorable occasion was on February 7, 1977, when I had arranged for Bob, WCCO TV's Alan Lotsberg, and W.C. Fields' grandson, Ronald J. Fields, to attend a meeting of the Block-Heads tent of the Sons of the Desert, the Saint Paul branch of the international Laurel & Hardy appreciation society. Bob provided rare film clips of W.C., including HIP ACTION, an instructional golf short starring Bobby Jones and featuring W.C. Fields in his "normal" persona. Over the years, Bob provided many wonderful experiences with his vast collection of films, and his legacy will live on with the innumerable contributions he made in documentary films.
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