Robert James Cambias, V, age 52, from New Orleans, is now dancing in heaven at the best Blues concert anyone has seen. Born on April 4, 1968, father to three beautiful children, Rob passed on November 25, 2020 holding the hand of his beloved wife of 25 years. Rob is known for his love of swimming, music and food, but mostly for his love of life and the people he came across. He loved having a front row seat at all of life's events.
The common thread throughout Rob's life was swimming. His swimming career started during the summer league at Green Acres Country Club at age 9 and continued throughout his life. He was a Great White Shark at age 10 and a Bolt from age 12 to 17 at the Metairie YMCA. Additionally, he worked as a lifeguard both at Green Acres Country Club and the Metairie YMCA, throughout high school and into college. One of the high points of Rob's long swimming stint came in 1988 when he was a member of the LSU SEC Championship Men's swim team. After college, Rob continued to compete in U.S.Masters Swimming and rose to several leadership roles in this organization, holding various board positions for nearly 20 years, thus fostering professional swim competition for adults throughout the country. Not satisfied with the challenge of masters swimming, Rob continued to compete in the year-round state meets against swimmers 18 and 19 years old, until age 50, racking up 32 state meets in his career - the most of anyone thus far. One of his dreams became reality when he competed against his own sons and nephew at the state level in the same event, giving them a good run for their money. Rob wasn't content with just competing, so he strove to help other people to become better swimmers. He was a USA Swimming certified coach as well as Ursuline High School's Head Swim Coach for two years.
Rob started his award-winning professional journalistic career at the Times Picayune as an intern. In a recurring theme in his life, he ran into trouble with management after writing a scathing piece about stolen Indian artifacts despite the story being assigned as a fluff piece by the publisher. Recognizing true talent, the State Times immediately picked him up after he graduated from college. A sad day in the newspaper business saw Rob getting laid off after the evening paper folded. Realizing a dream, he soon relocated to Florida, landing a spot at the Lakeland Ledger. Always an environmentalist, he was instrumental in stopping shell dredging in Lake Pontchartrain while working as a journalist at the St. Charles Herald, which was wreaking havoc on the delicate lake's ecosystem as well as beginning to ruining our sportsman's paradise. He also fought as an activist journalist against a plutonium processing plant from locating in Oakdale, La. and Formosa Plastics from spoiling St. James Parish. One of the highlights of his career was earning an award for busting open a prison guard sex ring.
However, Rob's competitive spirit and growing and insatiable appetite for vintage automobiles, which are quite unaffordable on a journalist wage, prompted him to take a different path. Following in his father's footsteps Rob became an Allstate Insurance Agency owner and focused his energies and Spanish skills on helping the Hispanic community with their insurance needs. Part of his business philosophy required serving people in their native tongues. He never sold anything that he didn't or wouldn't purchase for himself or his family. Rob took all the time needed to satisfy his customers, often making cups of Cuban coffee right in his office and sharing trusted advice with each client. As a testament to his skills, Rob’s clients often stayed with him for over two decades because they knew he cared for their needs. In 2007 Rob purchased his father’s Allstate book and Jay came to work with Rob for more than ten years. Rob won numerous awards with Allstate, including earning the Circle of Champions four times and earning the number one place in the country for Allstate Life Insurance sales. Rob’s passion for protecting the things that matter most to his clients made him well recognized among his peers.
Anyone who really knew Rob realized that he was a gourmand more than a bon vivant because he rarely drank and then even less so to excess. He didn't just consume food, he soaked it up, luxuriating his palette with every bite off the plate, mopping up the last bit of gravy with a chunk of baguette. Long, mid-day, gastronomic tours of eateries in the French Quarter, the Marigny and the Westbank could occur at any time of the week. Though he enjoyed sophisticated cuisine, from Acadian to Lebanese to Indian, Rob probably enjoyed barbecue most of all. Texas-style pork called out to him during the dark days of M.D. Anderson treatment.
Rob fiendishly loved music. A lifelong WWOZ listener, his tastes varied from Blues, to classic rock, some Jazz, smattering of Latin musica and all New Orleans music. Proudly, Rob never missed a day of Jazz Fest and held an annual Brass Pass. While Jazz Fest was going on, he held work and meetings in contempt. Always flamboyant, he started costuming about halfway through his Jazz Fest career. The costumes were legendary and always consisted of a speedo swimsuit, a cape, outlandish boots and usually included some type of mask. He loved shock value and enjoyed when festers greeted him with the phrase "like your 'kini." He adopted a free spirit style of dancing and gyrated with abandon at each act he attended. Sometimes, his artistic visual antics upstaged the performing act. Fellow festophiles photographed and talked about them endlessly. Providing a legacy he certainly hopes will continue, Rob brought his kids with him to help share his passion for music. Always looking for accomplices, he encouraged his daughter to become his costume accomplice in later years - the Robin to his Batman. Perhaps the highlight of his festing was being invited onto the stage, along with Isa, to move to Big Freedia's rhythms.
Rob is survived by his wife, Selah Rose, his children, Santiago Roberto, Maximo Vicente, and Isabel Viana. He is also survived by his parents Robert J Cambias Jr., Mary Kathryn (Candy) Cambias, his sister Shannon Cambias-Prator, brothers-in-law Chris Prator, Joshua Johnson, Patrick Fortney and Roger DiGregorio, sisters-in-law Cherith Rose, Eden Rose DiGregorio, Judea Rose Fortney, and Tirzah Rose Johnson, and his mother-in-law Inalyn Rose. He is also survived by nephews Andrew William Osborne, Tove Ocean Rose-Glane, nieces Maria "Mia" Guadalupe Osborne-Cambias, Alina Ray Fortney, Lauria Mia Fortney, Siana DiGregorio, and Talia Rose Johnson. Relatives and friends are invited to the Funeral Mass at St. Edward the Confessor Parish Church, 4921 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, LA 70001, on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 12 Noon with visitation from 9 AM until Mass time. Masks are required. Interment will follow at Hope Mausoleum. 4841 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70119. A celebration of Rob's life will also take place, beginning at 2 PM until 6 PM at Rock 'N' Bowl, 3016 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118. Costumes are encouraged. The online guestbook is available at www.leitzeaganfuneralhome.com.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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