Longtime Lake Arrowhead resident Bob Pitchford left us September 2, 2017, surrounded by his family in Palm Desert. Bob was born in San Marino on February 13, 1928. In the early 1940s, the Pitchford family built a second home at Lake Arrowhead on Emerald Bay where Bob enjoyed sailing, power boating and waterskiing. A natural talent at waterskiing, Bob formed Lake Arrowhead's first ski club and began competing in local races to great success. He was a two-time winner of the 69-mile Catalina Ski Race, winner of the 100-miles Lake Mead race, and a world record holder in the ski jump. Bob retired from the sport as Pacific Coast Champion with more than 45 trophies.

During the Korean War, Bob served in combat as a master sergeant in the California National Guard's 40th Division. After the war, he attended Pasadena City College where he won a coveted Ford Scholarship to Art Center in Los Angeles. There, he specialized in automobile design and graduated with distinction before accepting a design job in Detroit in the Advanced Styling department at Ford Motor Company.

During his college years, Bob met and married Vera Peet from La Canada. Upon Bob's graduation from Art Center in 1955, the newlyweds moved to Detroit and Bob went to work at Ford dreaming up futuristic cars with tailfins and bubble tops. They moved back to California in 1957, settling in Rancho Mirage. Bob set his sights on learning the art of building design and accepted a draftsman position for a renowned desert architect. Bob developed a keen intrest in midcentury modern design and set out on his own - opening an office in Palm Desert.

Over his 60 years in the desert, Bob enjoyed great success as an architect, designing a home theater, bowling alley, bar, and expanded kitchen for Frank Sinatra; a new home for Elliott Roosevelt; a night club for jazz singer and pianist Buddy Greco; several restaurants and commercial buildings; and numerous modern, Spanish and California ranch homes.

Bob was loved and admired by all who knew him. A humble man, he rarely spoke of his great athlete and professional accomplishments. He was kind, reserved, quick-witted, sentimental, and deeply devoted to his family. His long and rewarding life was nevertheless cut too short by pancreatic cancer. 

He will be dearly missed by Vera, his wife of 63 years; his three children:  Rob (Judi) of Bermuda Dunes, Trevor (Taundra) of Santa Barbara, and Ginny (Johnny Joyner) Pitchford of La Canada; and three grandchildren.

Mountain News and Crestline Courier-News, September 21, 2017