Robert Bowen Suhr, resident of Scotts Valley, left us on Sunday evening, October 10th. His wife of 64 years, Juliette, was by his side and his children nearby. He leaves behind a devoted daughter, Barbara Suhr White, her husband Douglas and their children Weston White and Juliette Bowen McCullough and her husband Adrian; a son Robert B. Suhr, Jr. and his wife, Gale, and their children Matthew, Daniel and Daniel's fiancee, Julie Inga; a son, John Suhr and his children Cameron and Micaela. He was predeceased by a daughter, Nancy Barker Suhr. Born in Norwalk, Ohio, December 20, 1918, Bob attended Norwalk High School and graduated from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, in 1941. Following four and a half years of service in the United States Navy during World War II and his subsequent marriage to Juliette Weston, Bob started his own insurance business in Santa Clara in 1951, which is now known as Suhr Risk Services. He rose to be president of the Independent Insurance Agents Association of California and received his industry's highest honor, the Ramsden/Sullivan Memorial Award, reserved for individuals exemplifying the highest standards of ethics and professional conduct. Bob raised his family in Saratoga and then moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1973. He loved community and organizational work. As a result, he was past president of the Santa Clara Rotary Club which he belonged to for 57 years. He also headed the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Clara County Taxpayers Association, the Santa Clara United Fund Drive, The United Republican Finance Committee, the Good Government Group of Saratoga and Saratoga Pony League and was an Emeritus Governor of the Western States Trail Foundation. In Santa Cruz County he was a member of the Senior Coalition and an ardent contributor to local newspapers' Letters to the Editor columns. Bob was also a member of the Commonwealth Club of California and the American Philatelic Society. Bob was widely known for his passion to uphold a citizen's right to know how government spends tax dollars. He was recently awarded the Beacon Award for his work to keep government meetings and records open to the public and for his unwavering support of the First Amendment. Bob and his wife traveled widely and participated in long distance horseback rides on six continents. He was in the American Endurance Ride Conference's Hall of Fame for not only riding ability, but for his personal contribution to that organization. Bob liked to share his Scotts Valley Marinera Ranch trails with both hikers and riders and worked hard keeping them open for others to enjoy. He rode his own horses until he was 87 years old. Bob never told anyone to "have a great day." It was always "MAKE it a great day." He believed in individual responsibility and he inspired many to become active in their communities both politically and socially. When you enter Scotts Valley and see the American Flag waving, please think of him because he put it there out of love of his country. His current project was the building of a family park in his home town of Norwalk, Ohio. Anyone wishing to make a donation in his memory may do so to the City of Norwalk/Suhr Family Park at 38 Whittlesey Ave., Norwalk, Ohio, 44857. There will be a celebration of Bob's life at 4 p.m. on Friday, October 29th, at the Scotts Valley Community Center on Kings Village Road in Scotts Valley.

Published in San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on October 14, 2010.