Robert "Bob" Relyea

1937 - 2023

Robert "Bob" Relyea
January 13, 1937 - April 4, 2023
Robert "Bob" Relyea died peacefully on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in Santa Rosa, CA. He was 86 and he'd driven himself to dialysis three times a week since he was diagnosed a year ago with kidney failure. Dialysis was a great blessing that gave us many more months with him, but it was no substitute for working kidneys, a truth his body ultimately made clear to him. Facing the loss of the independence he found essential, he decided to discontinue treatment.
He was a better man than he believed himself to be and was so very grateful for the love his family showed him. His passing was on his terms, which is good because any other outcome would have annoyed him to no end.
Bob was the fifth of Fred and Hazel Relyea's seven children, born January 13, 1937. He was also the last one standing. They grew up in Healdsburg, picking prunes each summer and living a simple life. He left Healdsburg High School before graduating to enlist in the Air Force, passing his GED to complete his high school education.
He worked at OCLI for more than 30 years, retiring as a supervisor.
He was predeceased, in 2014, by his wife, Dennene "Dee" Relyea. They were blessed to have found each other later in life; Bob said they saved each other. He is survived by his children: Erin Vincent (Curtis) of Washington; Debbie Close (Shawn) of Texas; Ret. CSM Dennis Relyea (Jackie) of North Carolina; and Tammie Campbell (Paul) and Jeff Edwards, both of Sonoma County. He leaves grandchildren: Jasmine Basch (Mike) of Sonoma County, as well as their four children Katarina, Julia, Benjamin, and Emma; Theron Cole of Kansas, as well as his sons Carlos and Adam; Summer Cole of Tennessee; and Rachel Campbell and Abigail Campbell of Illinois.
Private services will be held at a later date.