Robert Hass

1926 - 2015

Robert Donald Hass

April 8, 1926 to November 6, 2015

A grand oak has fallen in our midst. Strong and unbowed, Robert D. Hass, M.D. died peacefully in his home, as he wished.
Robert graduated from Stanford Medical School in 1951 and immediately after, he served proudly as a Navy doctor in the Korean War. Upon returning from war, he married Carolan (Lally) Witter in 1953. He and Lally were happily married for over 61 years and shared their love for life.
He and Lally had four sons, Robert Donald Hass, Jr. (Diane), Ian Witter Hass, Peter August Hass (Margot) and Timothy Richard Hass (Betsy).
Robert worked as a Naval Doctor in the House of Representatives in 1954 and 1955. He then moved to London, where their second son, Ian, was born; and then back to California where he practiced as an orthopedic surgeon in Palo Alto from 1960 until his retirement in 1991. His successful practice was "old style" and in exchange for payment, he was known to accept sheep, geese, and horse manure, which he then used for his beautiful rhododendrons and azaleas.
After retirement, Robert and Lally traveled the world more frequently. Robert worked as a volunteer doctor in South Africa, Vietnam and Bhutan. There came a point where they had visited so many countries that it became easy to ask where they had not been rather than where they had been.
To celebrate his 50th birthday, Robert climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with his son, Ian, trekked to the Base Camp of Mt. Everest on his 60th birthday, and took his extended family (sons, wives, and grandchildren) to Northern Italy for his 80th birthday.
His one true love, other than his wife and his family, was the outdoors. He spent 30 years backpacking in the Sierra with his friends and family and 40 years fishing for steelhead on the Morice, Skeena and Babine Rivers in Canada.
His love for his six grandchildren, Carolan, Tacy, Bridget, Eric, Fenja and Julia, knew no bounds and he dearly looked forward to his visits with them.
He will be greatly missed by all who knew him and loved to hear about all his adventures his full life blessed him with.
Robert is preceded in death by his father, Frank August Hass, mother, Violet Rachel Hass and his older brother, Richard Hass.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. http://www.gardenbythe sea.org/