Robert Byron Champe

1952 - 2024

Robert (Bob) Byron Champe

December 27, 1952 - August 6, 2024

Milton, Florida - Robert Byron Champe (Bob) was born on December 27, 1952, to Vinton Byron Champe and Beverley Louise Champe. He was born on Beverley's 23rd birthday. He is survived by his beloved wife Jane Champe, children Shelly Egan-Welpott, Robert Champe, and Brandon Rose; grandchildren Noah and Nathaniel Egan, Aidan, Violet, and Caleb Champe. He was also survived by his two sisters, Jackie Wentzel and Pam Champe. He graduated from Hiram Johnson High School in 1971. After high school, Bob took night courses to prepare him for a job as an electrician. In his early 20s, he started with the IBEW Electrical Union Local 340 in Sacramento, California. He started as an apprentice, moving up to journeyman, and in his 30s became a foreman until he retired in 1995. He had many jobs in the Sacramento area that he was proud of. When driving through the streets of Sacramento, he would excitedly point and say, "I put up that light over there! I wired that building! I put up that light on top of the Tower Bridge!" He loved the fact that he had been part of building the Renaissance Tower in 1989, which was the tallest high rise building in the downtown area at the time. He was proud of the work he did in his community and even more proud that he had followed in his father's footsteps. Bob was well-known in the community as a lifelong Sacramento resident. He treasured friends over the course of his life, and they all loved him for his jovial spirit and kind heart. Bob had a deep love of music that covered almost every genre. He was a wiz with both movie and music trivia. He always had music playing and he always knew the story behind the artists and the songs. He retired to Milton, Florida in 2017, settling near the beaches of Pensacola with his wife Jane. They spent the last of their nearly 30 years together in this beautiful place. Bob enjoyed long hours in his backyard pool overlooking the lake, which was filled with all kinds of critters that he loved to feed. His last day on this earth was spent in his happy place. He was listening to his favorite music, floating in the pool with a beer on the side, talking and laughing with Jane. He fell asleep on his pool float and passed to the next world from the place he loved most: home. He will be missed for his kind heart, contagious laugh, free spirit, accepting nature, love of family, and adoration of music, children and animals. They were in the process of moving home to Sacramento. A celebration of life will be had in the future, with details posted later, for all to celebrate his beautiful life.