Robert Edward "Bobby" Hager

1983 - 2012

Robert "Bobby" Edward Hager (1983-2012)

March 10, 1983

September 18, 2012

Our beloved son and brother Bobby Hager passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday September 18 in Reno at the age of 29. He was born to Robert Rene Hager and Laura Lee Quilici in Reno on March 10, 1983. Bobby was a bright, dynamic and good-hearted young man who will be forever missed by his family and friends. Bobby attended Our Lady of the Snows, Brookfield, Swope and Reno and Lowry High Schools. He graduated from UNR with honors, and obtained his law degree from Boyd School of Law at UNLV. He was engaged in the private practice of law in Reno, and became a partner in the law firm of Hager & Hearne the week before his death.

In the first year of his practice Bobby practiced law at an extraordinary level. He attended approximately one hundred foreclosure mediations and appeared in court on dozens of occasions. Bobby assisted in the preparation of a number of Supreme Court appeals and spoke at the Supreme Court regarding proposed amendments to the Foreclosure Mediation Rules. There are many citizens of northern Nevada who remain in their homes because of his efforts. In his short career a consistent theme emerged: litigation on behalf of the oppressed. He fought the good fight, but with a kind and generous heart. He will be missed by judges and colleagues, including those whom he opposed.

From the time he was a child, Bobby met life's challenges with a stout heart. His thirst for understanding about how things worked was matched only by his dedication to justice. Before he started walking at ten months of age, he did everything to try to learn how to walk. As soon as he was able to walk, Bobby became obsessed with trying to talk. He developed outstanding verbal skills, and had the knack for making friends easily with people from all walks of life. Because of his exposure to people with wide-ranging backgrounds and stations in life, Bobby was usually able to quickly determine whether people he met were phony or sincere. His family and friends knew they could always count on Bobby to be there for them.

Bobby spent countless hours mentoring his younger brothers and sister about avoiding life's pitfalls and teaching them life skills. By triumphing over his own personal challenges and demons, Bobby taught his younger brothers and sister what is important is not whether you fall, but whether you get back up. Like his baby sister Chantal, with whom Bobby was extremely close, he was very sensitive and tended to judge himself too harshly. The sudden death of Bobby's little sister last year devastated Bobby and nearly derailed his career and life, but his willingness to work hard to make the changes needed to get his life back on track brought him respect in the legal community. Those who worked with him came to depend on his analytical abilities and sense of humor.

In the week before his death, he achieved long-term professional and personal goals. He achieved the life-long goal of becoming a law partner of his father. Bobby was enthusiastic about being involved in strategy decisions on big national cases with lawyers who started practicing law in the late 1970's. Those without power and privilege have lost an effective advocate.

At the time of his death Bobby was involved in the design of a new water delivery system for surface water to the Hager family ranch in Northern Nevada that has been in the Siard/Hager family since 1900. This year's drought affected the ability of the existing pipeline and ditch system to deliver sufficient water to the orchard, fields and trees, and Bobby and his brother Ian were working together to design a water system that could deliver sufficient water even under drought conditions.

Bobby was predeceased by his grandparents Yvonne Siard Hager and Edward Harold Hager, and his sister Chantal Claire Hager. Bobby is survived by his father Robert Rene Hager, mother Laura Quilici Aboud (Mike), brothers Ian Andre Hager, Ryne Rene Hager, Gavin Quilici and Hunter Quilici, uncles Harold Hager and Buddy Quilici, aunts Nancy Kilpack and Ruth Armstrong, and grandparents Pat Quilici and Jerry Qulici.

Viewings are scheduled for Wednesday, September 26, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Thursday, September 27, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Friday, September 28, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Ross, Burke and Knobel Mortuary, 2155 Kietzke Lane, Reno. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 29, 2012 at Mt. View Mortuary, 425 Stoker Ave, Reno, at 11:00 am with interment immediately thereafter at Mt. View Cemetery. The family invites you to leave a message in the "Book of Memories" at www.waltonsfuneralhomes.com