Robert W. Gulbransen

June 6, 1921 - February 25, 2015

Robert W. Gulbransen Sr. 1921-2015 Born June 6th 1921 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Bob was the second of 7 children of Henry and Bertha Gulbransen. He was a gifted athlete in High School and excelled in basketball and track and field. During the summer before his junior year, he left home and moved to Los Angeles with his cousin and grandmother. He attended Franklin High School in Eagle Rock and later L.A. City College. While in college, he accepted a job with the government taking rock samples from sites in the Mojave Desert. He later worked in the jungles of Central America surveying for the Pan America Highway. During World War II, he returned to L.A. and was drafted. He was sent to Officer Training School in combat engineering during which time he met his future wife Dorothy Tugwell who was a lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps. Bob and Dot were married in Washington State and were together almost 70 years. After the war, they moved to Panama where Bob worked for the Government in the Canal Zone. Their first son, Robert Jr., was born there. After moving back to the states, Bob and Dot moved to Marin City where their second son, Glenn, was born. The Korean War saw Bob back in the service. After the war, Bob landed a public works job at Mare Island. The family moved to Napa in the early 50s. Bob loved to travel. He took his family on many cross country trips to visit his family in Wisconsin and Dorothy’s family in Arkansas. The family car camped throughout the western U.S. and Canada. After retiring from Mare Island, Bob and Dot travelled in their camper to Alaska and all over the U.S. including one memorable trip cross country with granddaughters Wendy (6 at the time) and Kate (4) to visit the Knoxville, Tennessee World’s Fair. Bob and Dot made many trips abroad including to Europe, Egypt, Australia and New Zealand. This love of travelling has been passed down to his kids and grandchildren. Dorothy died in January just a week shy of her 96th birthday. Bob died in his sleep a short month later on February 25, 2015. He leaves behind two sons Robert (Shirley) Gulbransen Jr., Glenn (Kathy) Gulbransen; grandchildren Curtis Gulbransen, Wendy Gibson, Kate Gulbransen, Erin Gulbransen, and Kevin Gulbransen; great grandchildren Noah Gulbransen, Logan Gulbransen, Calvin Gibson, Hunter Gibson and Roxanne Gibson. No services are planned and Bob and Dots ashes will be interred at Tulocay Cemetery in Napa and in Harper Springs Cemetery in Arkansas.