Robert Roche

1932 - 2022

Robert Roche
October 31, 1932 - August 23, 2022
Robert "Bob" Bruce Roche was raised in St. Francis Wood, San Francisco, where he attended St. Ignatius High School. He studied Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley and joined the Sigma Nu fraternity, where he was elected President his senior year. At Cal he competed on both the swim and water polo teams - the Polobears defeating their rival Stanford senior year for the coveted title of Pacific Coast Champions. He graduated in 1954 and married his college sweetheart Sally Floyd directly after graduation. Employed at Cal Trans as a Junior Engineer, he was drafted into the Army six months later. After the Service he moved back to the Bay Area where he was hired by Pacific Telephone Company in 1957. Starting out in the Management Training Program, he retired after 28 years as Assistant Vice President at age 52. That same year he formed his own business Roche Construction.
Passionate about giving back to his community, Bob was a Co-founder and Chairman of the Lafayette Community Center Foundation, worked on building projects for Habitat for Humanity, where he also served as a Director and Treasurer. He acted as a Tax Counselor for the elderly, was the President of Sigma Nu Alumni Foundation and served on the board of directors and was elected Treasurer for the San Francisco Olympic Club, where he was a member for 81 years. Elected to the Lafayette City Council, he served as Mayor in 1979 until being transferred to New Jersey for two years. His electrical engineering was integral in the creation of the San Francisco City Academy, the first school in the Tenderloin of San Francisco and his construction expertise indispensable at the Rancho Milagro Orphanage in Mexico.
Bob maintained friendships of eighty years and remained close to his Sigma Nu brothers. Over the years his favorite activities included snow and water skiing, body surfing, running (entering his first marathon in his 50's), handball, volleyball, tennis and eventually golf. He also enjoyed traveling the world with Sally and their friends. But most meaningful to Bob was spending quality time with family, especially at San Clemente Beach and Donner Lake.
Bob was a devoted husband of 59 years, faithful friend and loving patriarch. He died peacefully at home in Walnut Creek on August 23, surrounded by love at the age of 89. He is predeceased by his wife Sally, son Robert "Corky" Jr. and grandson Robert "Bobby" III, parents Theodore Jr. and Katheryn Roche and brothers Ted III and Don Roche. He leaves behind his daughter Teri Roche Drobnick and husband Mike, his son David Roche and wife Nancy, daughter-in-law Aeh Roche, grandchildren Eileen, Tom, Jamie, Kai, Alzada, Casey, Sam, Anda, Millie, siblings Ruth (Roche) Dull, Fr. Randy Roche, SJ, and Jerry Roche as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held on September 11, at the Lafayette Park Hotel, 3287 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, CA 94549. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be sent to the Alzheimer's Association or Habitat for Humanity.