Work

When I first met Bob, he was going to school & working at the Holiday Inn.  He was doing hospitality work in the banquet department.  It was good money, plenty of great food and a lot of fun, because he worked with one of his best friends (Rex).

After we were married, he was still going to school when Michelle came along.   He almost graduated, but decided he needed to get a job.  He started working at RB Furniture, as a driver, where his uncle & I were also working at a different location.  RB Furniture decided to sell the stores here in San Diego, so we had a couple of new employers over the next few years (Family Home Furnishings and then The Brick).  We were both laid off within a month of each other.  Bob was able to find a job right away, working for Jerome's Furniture, as a furniture repair guy.  While he was driving, during a work day, he noticed a 7Up truck.  I guess he talked to the driver and found out that he was on his way back to the plant, as his day was over.  He thought he would like to be finished in the early afternoon & so he applied for a job.

He worked as a driver for 20 years, before becoming a driver's supervisor for the next 15 years.  The name also changed a couple of times  - 7Up RC Bottling to Dr Pepper Snapple & now Keurig Dr Pepper. He was there for almost 35 years – he started on 8/5/85.

Biography

Bob was born in Malacca Malaysia, which was a colony of the United Kingdom, so he was considered a citizen of the UK and colonies (CUKC).   His father was the eldest of ten children.  His mother was Chinese and her family didn't like that she was marrying a Eurasian.  Family was very important to both sides.  On May 13, 1969, there happened to be a racial riot, that caused the Aeria family to decide to move out of the country.  They could have chosen the UK, Australia or the United States.  He had a couple of uncles who had gone to the US for school and helped them to make their decision.  In September 1970, his family started their way over.  All ten children, along with their families moved to San Diego, over the next thirteen years.  He and his brother, along with their parents, were asked if they knew that they might need to go to Vietnam due to the draft being in effect and their ages.  They all agreed.  They traveled with their parents, grandparents and a couple of aunts & uncles.  Bob decided to start as a junior in High School because of his date of birth.  He went to Madison High School and thought it would be a good way to get involved with sports, as he was a good volleyball & soccer player.  In Malaysia, he was on the state team for volleyball.  His parents didn't stay in San Diego.  His father had to finish working in Malaysia so he could retire with a pension and before he left, he bought a new Pontiac Firebird, that Bob got to use.  His sister remembered and told me that it was the best car at his high school, even better than any of the teacher's cars.  His mom was a nurse and worked in LA with another one of their aunts.  He lived in a house with his grandparents (Mum & Gramps) & Aunt Pat, on Mt Herbert Ave, which still belongs to the family.  Bob & I met during a volleyball class at Mesa College in 1974.  We would play volleyball three or four times a week at many different locations.  Our first "date" was April 21, 1975 the Pink Floyd concert – Dark Side of the Moon.  His father came back to San Diego in 1975 and purchased the home in Mira Mesa where he and his sister went to live, which his sister now owns.  Bob first met my parents at their 25 ^th Wedding Anniversary party, in Norwalk, July 1975.  When we got married, in January 1978, we lived with his parents and sister.  He was still going to school and I was working for RB Furniture.  In March of 1979, we were blessed with Michelle.  He decided that he needed to get a job so we could think about getting our own place.  Even though we all got along okay, it was nice when we found a house that we purchased the end of 1980, with a friend, who quit his job a month after we moved in.  We ended up able to scrape by without the friend.  His cousin, who had married his best friend, also purchased a house in the same development a few months later.  We stayed there for a little over two years when his parents proposed that we go in together with them and purchase a home in the Clairemont area in 1983.  We kept our place and rented it out, which was an experience.  A couple of good renters a couple of bad ones, until we sold it.  By then, Wendy & Tony were both retired and were able to take care of Michelle while Bob & I went to work.  A few years later, Nicholas came along and we needed a bigger house.  Tony was the best at finding the hidden gems and brought us to a brand-new development in Rancho Penasquitos.  We purchased the house in 1988 & his parents then lived with us.  We started attending Our Lady of Mt Carmel when we moved in.  Both Michelle & Nick were baptized at St Catherine Laboure in Clairemont.  We began to be more involved with the church after Bob's grandfather "Gramps" passed away in 1986.  Gramps was a big reason I thought that Bob was the one, when we would stop by the house, he was just a shining light and was very involved with the church.  He was one of the lectors at St Catherine.  I was not a Catholic until 1991 when I went through RCIA at OLMC.  Bob's father had cancer and got really sick towards the end of 1992.  We asked Father Frank Fawcett to come to the house for our 15 ^th wedding anniversary so our marriage could be convalidated with family and friends in January 1993.  His father passed away four days later.  His mother had Parkinson's Disease but she was still quite healthy for several more years and we were blessed to have her with us until she broke her second hip and ended up not able to come back home.  Her last day, we were told to come to the nursing home and we were told that she had said she saw two gentlemen in her room that morning, when she had been barely waking up for several days prior to this.  She passed 12 years to the day from when Tony passed.  We both thought that it may have been Tony and her brother to help her with the transition to Heaven.  We had many adventures with both my family and Bob's family.  Our favorite holiday was Easter!  We would attend Easter Vigil, so we could go early to Mission Bay, each year for over 35 years and we would have family and friends celebrate with food, conversation & volleyball.  I think the biggest crowd was around 90 of us.  Family is/was always the most important for both of us.  Sometimes, in life, family extends to longtime friends.  One of those friends, Jim, actually did become a family member when he married Clare, his cousin.  We got married around six months before they did.  Almost every picnic or family get-together needed a volleyball game and Bob & Jim were the ones who had the best set, that they could afford at the time, to make that happen.  They also got into running around the same time.  Their first marathon race, they decided the day before the race that they were going to do it.  They ran a few more during the next couple of years.  Other holidays, were always fun, as well.  Thanksgiving was at my aunt's house in Rosemead.  Christmas was crazy, my parents would have their celebration usually the week before and then we would be home for Christmas morning & then to Mt Hebert for the rest of the day.  Bob was a devoted father and loved watching all of the games/activities of which Michelle & Nick were a part.  Michelle's volleyball games took us all over California and Nick never seemed to mind going in the car with a bunch of teenage girls.  She was also in dance both Jazz & ballet and in High School she also played volleyball and lacrosse.  Nick started out with Pop Warner football and Bob was the team manager for one of the four years.  He played Little League, soccer and in High School he also played lacrosse.  He was also in the band from 5 ^th grade through junior high.  There were many evenings and weekends sitting in the stands or auditoriums watching our children enjoy life.  Our vacations were usually with family, so many, I couldn't add all of them – many trips to Disneyland, Disney World, Washington DC, Niagara Falls, Hawaii, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, Minnesota, several times to Yosemite, the Red Woods, several to Big Bear skiing, Mammoth skiing, many trips to Las Vegas & Laughlin, a couple to Reno, recently a bunch to Tennessee and as Charger Fans we made about a dozen road trips to other stadiums for Charger away games.  We were season ticket holders for eleven years.  So many great memories that we will always treasure.

Bob started feeling bad with a cough and no energy, in October.  He started going to see the doctors and kept going for the next few months.  In March, the doctors decided it must be an autoimmune disease.  Due to COVID, he had a phone appointment with the Rheumatologist in March and was started on Prednisone, which seemed to help a little bit.  He got some of his appetite back, as at this point he had lost over 40 lbs.  He finally saw his Rheumatologist, in May, and started a new treatment soon after.  His diagnosis was a very rare Inflammatory Myositis with a sub set of MDA5 positive antibodies and Dermatomyositis.  June 1 ^st , he had a phone appointment with his primary care doctor.  He told us to go to the ER, immediately, because of how Bob was feeling.  We went straight there and his blood oxygen was at 75, so they admitted him.  They continued to say he would get better, but his lungs had been so badly damaged by the disease, it was going to be impossible.  We kept on being told there was a chance he would be better and they tried many treatments, but his lungs were giving out.  They asked if he would want to be intubated, which would mean he would be put into a coma and might never be awake until he passed.  He said he didn't want that.  He requested a couple of times to have Father Anthony to be called, but the hospital wouldn't allow a priest to come into the hospital.  When I received the call (that I hoped would never come), I was able to have Father Anthony come to the hospital and he was able to go in to give Bob his Last Rights and Eucharist for his final time.  His sister, Ursula, and Nick were also able to visit with him, individually, before I was allowed to be with him.  We talked about what he wanted for his funeral.  I told him he will get to see his parents, my parents & so many family members and friends, soon.  He wanted to make sure of which music and food were going to be available.  I stayed with him, that evening, until I was told that I had over stayed my time.  I went home and looked up on their website that there could be one visitor for "At End of Life" patients and it didn't have a time limit, so, I went back at 6:00am to be with him.  They allowed me to go up even though, I had over stayed the night before and I was to only be there for 15 minutes.  Three security guards came to the room and tried to make me leave, again, but I refused and told them what their website said and that what they were asking was cruel.  They left and didn't insist that I leave.  Bob was sleeping, so, I continued saying the Rosary with him, until the doctors came in, about an hour later.  They checked him and said that he was gone.  So, he went peacefully while I was there with him.

The power of his brain, knowing high-school football stats, politics, music, and human nature. Bob could do just about anything he would put his mind to, from cars to things around the house or at work.  His first computer was a Zorba, in the early 80s, which had two floppy discs & no hard drive.  He loved the power of a computer and everything about them.  Both at home and at work he amazed everyone with his knowledge of a computer.  I have been told that he was quite the prankster at work, but never anything bad.  He didn't have a mean bone in his body.  He would always stand up for what was right.  He would challenge Michelle & Nick to getting the name of the band as we were driving somewhere for the song on the radio.  He could argue without talking down to those he could never agree with. He always had insight and a depth of knowledge on almost any subject that could be brought up in a conversation with anyone. And, despite not being a citizen of the United States he knew all about the political world here.

As far as living his life, he never turned anyone away that needed a place to stay for a day or for a few years.  My cousins, nieces & nephews would come and stay for weekends at all of our houses, because who wouldn't want to visit in San Diego.  We have had each of our brothers and his sister live in our current house at different times through the past 32 years.  Nick and Michelle's friends have stayed here.  My niece was going to be emancipated by my brother & sister-in-law, when she was 16.  There was no hesitation by either of us to have her stay with us and went that very day to pick her up and she was with us during her junior & senior years of high school.  She graduated from Mt Carmel High School.  She eventually went back to live with her dad & step mother because she couldn't stand to stay away from her sister any longer.  We have gone to visit them as often as possible.  We had plans to move to be closer to Michelle & Glen, in Tennessee, when Bob retired.  Now, we are expecting our first grandchild and we were looking forward to that.  My plan now is to carry it out, only a little sooner.

Bob is survived by his wife, of 42 years, Diana, daughter, Michelle Ann, son, Nicholas David, brother, Ulric, sister, Ursula, son in law, Glen and soon to be born, grandson, Denny James.

Bob loved his life and we will be looking forward to more time with him in the next.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions are made to establish a college fund for Denny James', Bob's first grandson who will be arriving in September.

Bob's Funeral Mass will be held at:

Our Lady of Mt Carmel

13541 Stoney Creek Road

San Diego, CA 92129

Saturday, July 18, 2020 @ 11:00am

There will be another Celebration of Life at:

Rose Hills Whittier – Arbor Lawn

3888 Workman Mill Road

Whittier, CA 90601

Monday, July 20, 2020 @ 12:00pmI want to thank so many for helping and all of the offers for help!!!  Thank you, Father Ignatius Kipchirchir and Scott Camden for performing Mass and the music, Diana Martini (lector), Uncle Blair Aeria (Eulogy) as well as the whole OLMC parish family for all of the heartfelt love.  A special thank you to the Keurig Dr Pepper group for coming by and providing so much compassion and so many memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.  Bubba & Orie, Tony & L'Annette, Greg & Carrie, Rick & Renee, Dan, Jeremy, Rui, you all have to promise to come and visit us in Tennessee.  My grandbaby will need to hear some of the stories from 7Up – Keurig Dr Pepper.  My family who welcomed Bob 42 years ago & the Aeria Clan who have also been my family, I cannot comprehend how all of you are feeling.  I know that Bob was ready, although I wasn't to let him, go.  Our Charger tailgate group and my photography friends and my small church group have all been so caring, as well.  Special thank you to Robbin Lynn, Clare Wells & Ursula Carl for all of the visiting, walks and dinners this past month and helping me with the arrangements.

We will be having a reception in our cul-de-sac, for just a couple of hours.  Please try to park on Adolphia Street, if possible.  We have warned our neighbors of our plan and they have been very generous to offer any help needed.  Our address is: 12795 Adolphia Court, San Diego (at the end of the cul-de-sac)