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Robert Baum Obituary
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Bob was born in Berkeley, California to Edward and Marie Baum on July 11, 1946. He attended Damien High School in La Verne, California. After graduating, he served in Vietnam with the Army Green Berets. After his wartime service, he married his sweetheart, Catherine Frances Topping, and settled down in Southern California. He and Cathy raised three children (Tressa, Charlie and Michael) in Pomona and later Camarillo. Bob worked as a real estate broker, but devoted the rest of his time to his family. Bob was a second-generation Eagle Scout, and joined his sons in all their Scouting adventures. He especially loved the Troop's annual canoe trips down the Colorado River, where he instigated (and won!) many water fights. Both Charlie and Michael earned their Eagle Scout, and recently Bob helped his granddaughter Alexandra finish her Eagle Scout project. He loved taking his entire family on outdoor adventures, especially backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada mountains and road trip adventures in his RV.
Bob retired in 2021 and moved to Payson, Arizona with Cathy. Together they remodeled a beautiful home, and Bob's talent for fixing literally anything was on full display. He is survived by his wife Cathy, his son Charlie, Charlie's wife Susan and their two children Alexandra (18) and Ben (14), and his daughter Tressa, her husband Bryan and their son Bogart (24).
Everyone is welcome to join our family in honoring Bob. His memorial service will be held on April 13, 2024 at 2 PM at St Paul's Episcopal Church (401 East Tyler Parkway in Payson). In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Special Forces Scholarship Fund (https://www.sfscholarshipfund.org/) which provides scholarship funds to the children of current and veteran U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers, or to the Tonto Rim Search and Rescue K9 team (https://trsar.org/k9-team/), for the benefit of these amazing rescue dogs.
The family would like to thank everyone who has offered support, thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Robert, please visit our Tree Store.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
3 Entries
Victoria Agee
April 2, 2024
I remember Bob and Cathy dating during our highschool days. Getting to their wedding was an adventure since there were two weddings of friends that day, one in Pomona and the other in San Diego. We had many pleasant visits to their home in Camarillo, especially for the Girl Scout Reunion gatherings. I loved the massive train setup in the upstairs room. It brought back memories of trips to the LA County Fair and seeing the big outdoor model trains there. Bob was always "all-in" on projects. Also remember him "popping off" a pesky rabbit or two off the hillsides. And of course, he was so involved with his children and grandchildren. As a young Dad I remember him working with his sons on restoring an old, classic car. We were grateful for Bob's servicel as a Green Beret during the Vietnam War and we were so glad to have him home again. And he was so proud of his sons, Charlie and Michael, and his daughter Tressa. Cathy was the love of his life. May he rest in peace and be welcomed "home" by Michael. Vicky and Jack Agee
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Lisa Lyons
March 28, 2024
Cathy and Family,
We will miss Bob for sure. He was a great guy and we always enjoyed his company. Please accept our condolences and know that we are thinking of you.
Lisa & Al Lyons
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901 S. Westerly Road, Payson, AZ 85541
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