Robert Elof Ekstrand

Robert Elof Ekstrand (Bob) was born on February 21, 1945, in Vallejo, CA to Philip and Kathryn Ekstrand. He was the youngest of four children, Mary Elizabeth, Donna, John (deceased), and Bob. His family was very close. They grew up attending the First Presbyterian Church in Vallejo. Bob was a Boy Scout, liked to fish, developed an elaborate model train setup, and became interested in historic narrow-gauge logging and mining railroads. His passion for trains lasted throughout his life. Bob's parents took the family on many camping trips and several backpacking trips in the western US. This is where Bob learned to love wilderness adventures.
Bob graduated from Vallejo High School in 1962 and Oregon State University with a major in Forestry in 1967. In college Bob was introduced to mountaineering, and for much of his life he continued camping, backpacking, and peak climbing in the western states, Mexico, and Alaska. After college, Bob joined the Navy, and graduated from the Naval Officers Candidate School in Newport, RI in 1968. He was sent to Florida for further training in photo interpretation of aerial photography. It was in Florida that he met Judy Bailey and her young daughter Monica. They were married early in 1971, shortly before Bob was deployed to Vietnam, where he served in Saigon. When he returned stateside, Bob formally adopted Monica, and the family lived in Mountain View, CA.
Once receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy, Bob parlayed his acquired knowledge of photo data interpretation into a career. For many years Bob was based at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Mountain View, working in the group that planned, catalogued, and interpreted the findings of U2 photographic surveys. One multi-year project that he especially enjoyed involved U2 photos of the entire state of Alaska.
During those working years Bob designed and built a log house in Boulder Creek, CA, near Big Basin Park. He had always liked wood working, and milled wood from the many trees on his property to build all the cabinets in the house. Bob, Judy, and Monica moved into the log house in 1981, and Bob continued to commute to Moffett Field for work. After Bob and Judy's separation and divorce, he continued to live in the log house in the redwoods for several years.
Bob met Jo Ann Van Ballegooijen through mutual friends at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos, CA (PCLG), and they were married in August of 1990. He moved in with Jo Ann and her two daughters, Eden and Dana, and they resided happily in that San Jose house for almost 34 years. Jo Ann shared Bob's love of the outdoors, and together they camped and backpacked in many beautiful places in the Western states. They also shared numerous wonderful adventures in Calaveras County, where they have owned a cabin for more than 20 years. Bob and Jo Ann remained very active at PCLG, where Bob also served on their Facility team for more than 20 years.
Bob battled several chronic conditions and died of multiple organ failure on June 5, 2024.