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Robert Salaber Obituary
01/19/1939 - 05/16/2025
Robert Louis (Lou) Salaber passed away peacefully on May 16, 2025 at the age of 86. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, engineer, world traveler and good friend.
Lou was born in San Francisco to Homer and Loretta Salaber on January 19, 1939. Lou is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Phyllis , his children, Ralph (wife Susan) and Felicia, his cherished grandchildren Madeleine Crowley (husband Will), Sophia, Nicholas (wife Megan), Anthony (wife Tess), Kayla, Gianna, Jason; Marco, and great-grandchildren Lilah, Andrew, Mia, Louis, his beloved sisters, Lynette Elias and Yvonne Sawyer, and his many nieces and nephews. His beloved son Robert predeceased him.
Lou attended Star of the Sea Grammar School, St. Ignatius High School (Class of '56) and graduated from the School of Engineering at Cal Berkeley (Class of 60). As a professional engineer he worked for Tudor Engineering for 36 years working on the initial phase of BART, the initial phase of MARTA in Atlanta, aiding in Caltrans extension to the Transbay Center, designing stretches of I-90 on Mercer Island in Washington, reconstruction ;of I-880 interchanges in Alameda County, etc. He also was co-owner of Viking Travel in San Francsico for 20 years and was the founding father of Salaber Associates Inc., an engineering corporation.
Lou had a warmth that drew people to him, a generosity of spirit and a kindness that made everyone feel like family. The kind of person you could sit with, whether talking over a glass of wine or just enjoying the moment. He had a rare gift of making you feel seen and heard. He was always curious and asked many questions.
He loved his family, the outdoors (Mt. Tam, Phoenix Lake, Tahoe), spending time hiking, walking, biking, travelling the world (85 countries) and the wonders of nature, Being able to speak several languages made travelling such a joy for him. Lou was a faithful 49er season ticket holder since he was 9 years old, passing the tickets to his son when they moved to Santa Clara.
Lou lived a full, generous wonderful life. His family, his life long friends from the Richmond district, all the kids he came in contact with and all that knew him will miss him. He will be fondly remembered.
A celebration of Lou's life will be held on Thursday, May 29th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church in Larkspur with a reception to follow.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Robert Salaber
1 Entry
Bob Barron
May 26, 2025
Lou was all the things his education and work experience provided for him but for me Lou was a nice guy and friend. He was a regular guy who enjoyed life. I always felt special in his presence. Lou, I am very lucky to have had you as a friend you made me a better person being in my life.
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