Robert Vega Arellanes

1933 - 2025

Robert Vega Arellanes

September 20, 1933 - January 5, 2025

Rancho Cordova, California - Bob, age 91 of Rancho Cordova, CA, went on to his final resting place on Sunday, January 5, 2025.

Born in Yuma, Arizona to parents born and raised in Mexico, he grew up in East Los Angeles, left home at the age of fourteen and enlisted in the Navy on his 18th birthday. Between leaving home and joining the Navy, Bob washed butcher trucks, pumped gas in a gas station, and at 17 went to work in the Los Angeles City Market with Morita Produce loading and unloading trucks as a Teamster, a labor union membership card he treasured his entire life.

Bob served four years in the United States Navy, largely in the Pacific, followed by enrollment at Long Beach State University, where his life took a dramatic turn for the better. There he met, and following a four-year courtship married a beautiful, bright, energetic, gifted, woman, Joanne, who would be his companion for sixty plus years of adventure, travel and work, domestically and abroad. At Long Beach State University, he studied and came to appreciate German (though fluent in Spanish), world history, geography, economics, Eugene O'Neill, Thomas Hardy, Erich Maria Remarque, John Dos Passos and many other artists and writers. Following Long Beath State, Bob obtained his Master's in Economics from the University of Oregon.

Along the way, Bob and Joanne were blessed with four wonderful children, Paul (Liz), Peter (Barbara), and Lisa (Ron), and grandchildren Brianne (Connor), Ashley (Dustin), Niko, Haley (Brady), Kate, Cecily and Leah, and great grandson Abel. Added to the family were Luis Barbosa (Cheryl) and their children Rose, Quentin, Bella and Reina. A fourth child, Carol, tragically survived but a week.

Bob had a varied employment career. Besides loading and unloading trucks as a teenager, he delivered dry cleaning to Naval warships anchored off Long Beach, designed roads accessing logging sites in the Willamette National Forest, taught economics at Cal Poly, served as a Peace Corps Associate Director in Northern Peru, followed by Peru Operations Officer with Peace Corps Washington D.C., and Urban Development Office of the Organization of American States. When the opportunity arose to join the administration of Sacramento State University, Bob and family opted to return to California rather than remain in Washington D.C. or relocate to Latin America.

At Sac State, his responsibilities included teaching economics, coordinating the Ethnic Studies Center, serving as Dean of Academic Planning overseeing the introduction of the new statewide general education program, and finally retiring as Dean of Continuing Education. Aside from his official university responsibilities, accomplishments most dear to Bob included overseeing the establishment of the Air Force ROTC Detachment on campus, relocating the Army ROTC program from its off-campus site to an on-campus facility and administering a graduate scholarship grant program on behalf of the Peace Corps for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Off campus, Bob was active in the Soccer Community serving in a variety of capacities from local league official to chair of the California Soccer Association North, an organization which inducted him into its Hall of Fame. His days actively involved with the California Soccer Association were some of the happiest of his life.

Bob leaves behind a beautiful family, all of whom made him a proud husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and enriched his life beyond measure. He came a long way from East Los Angeles.

Please join us in honoring Bob. The viewing and funeral service will be held at Calvary Cemetery located at 7101 Verner Avenue in Citrus Heights. The viewing is scheduled for January 22, 2025 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Following a one-hour viewing at 10:00 a.m. on January 23, the funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. A brief graveside service and a reception will follow. Flowers can be sent directly to Calvary Cemetery.