Robert Leroy Kircher

KIRCHER, Robert Leroy - Retired Chief's Operator for the San Francisco Fire Depart-ment passed away peacefully on Friday, November 25, 2005. He was born in Seattle, WA on February 8, 1932, to Louise M. and Gwendolin E. Kircher. Due to Gwen Kircher's involvement with the ILWU, the family quickly moved from Washington to the Cole Valley District where Robert attended Gratton Elementary School and finished his education at Polytechnic High School in 1950. He was an avid athlete while attending Poly and was inducted into the Polytechnic Hall of Fame for basketball and track. In 1955, he joined the San Francisco Fire Department and began work right away at Engine 7 on Albion Street. He quickly found his niche and moved up to chief's operator and began to run the San Francisco Fire Department from this position, driving several Division Chiefs and Chiefs of the Department. Following his father's footsteps, he was a proud member and organizer of Local 798, including helping to start the first union paper of the fire department called, "The Inside Box." Throughout his life Bob was involved with community service. His most recent membership with community groups included the Godfathers of St. Vincent's School for Boys, the Polytechnic Athletic Association (charter member), Wednesday Club, Thursday Club, and Retired San Francisco Firemen of Sonoma County. He also was a key organizer of the Redwood Invitational Golf Tournament in which the proceeds went to the Sonoma County Sutter VNA and Home Hospice Organization. Some of his hobbies included golf, surfing, abalone diving, gaming, fishing, and storytelling. His love for fishing and eating seafood carried on to the creation of the only trout/frog farm at Jones Street Tank on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. He joins his second wife Helen Yoshinaka Kircher and is survived by his present wife of 15 years Florence Kircher; four sons, James, Glenn, Michael, Gary Kircher; daughter Lynn Kircher; and many, many grandchildren. Friends are invited to attend a rosary Thursday, December 1st at 7:00pm and the Funeral Mass Friday, December 2nd at 10:30am ALL at St. Monica's Church, 470-24th Ave. (at Geary Blvd.), San Francisco, where the reception will follow. Come celebrate Bob's life by wearing Hawaiian shirts and bright colored clothes. The family requests donations to the SF Fire Department's Toy Program, 1300-4th St., SF, CA 94107, and the Sutter VNA and Hospice Organization, 1110 North Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401.