Robert John Kovacs

Robert (Bob) John Kovacs, aged 63, of Corral de Tierra, CA, passed away Sunday, October 20, 2024, at his home. Bob was born April 25th, 1961, to the late Joseph Kovacs and Margaret Kovacs (neé Gyuricza) of Mayfield Heights, OH.

Bob spent his professional career in the hospitality industry, working in various roles including server, manager, wine director and sommelier in restaurants in Cleveland, San Francisco, and Carmel by the Sea. From the moment he made the move to San Francisco in 1989, he knew the city would be home and loved his work at many of the greatest and most iconic restaurants of San Francisco, including Kuletos (aka the “mothership”), Hawthorne Lane, Fog City Diner, Ondine, Redwood Park, and the Cliff House. Entertaining was in his veins, and he loved cooking with friends, organizing wine tours, and making every dinner special with his attention to detail from ingredient selection to food prep and finally table presentation.

Bob loved his family and friends and was the glue that maintained connections to given and chosen family far and wide. He loved renewing connections with more distant relatives whether across the US or in France and Hungary. In recent years the weekly Zoom with his siblings was something he enjoyed hosting and rarely missed, regardless of whether he was home or traveling. He and John loved traveling with all of his family but especially with his late mother Marge, and happily embraced the role of “the fun ones” during Marge’s later years. He felt a love and sense of obligation to share with his nieces, nephews, and all who would listen his experience and hard-fought wisdom as a gay man coming of age in the worst of the years of AIDS, while at the same time sharing the fun, delight, and excitement of life.

Music was another essential part of Bob’s life. From his early years playing clarinet and oboe, through his love of the Grateful Dead and DeadHead period, to his love of classical music and jazz, he maintained a diverse and varied love of music. Sharing a night with his mother in Central Park, NYC hearing the Three Tenors, and picnicking with Marge at Blossom in the Cuyahoga Valley of Ohio to hear Linda Ronstadt were special moments he cherished.

Bob’s intellect was great and he loved devouring the news daily, often reading the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times. His talent for languages was spectacular. Fluent in Spanish and French he enjoyed every opportunity to practice them. He loved to travel the world discovering new places, while equally enjoying returning to his favorites in France, Provincetown, New York City, Ohio, or anywhere to visit friends, family and loved ones. He was an early adopter for many technologies, and was John’s and much of his family’s personal Geek Squad for installing and maintaining the “interweb” and all things new.

Bob was a member of the board of directors of Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley and vice-chair of his local homeowners association. He and John participated in seven AIDS Lifecycle rides from San Francisco to Los Angeles raising over $100,000 for the fight against AIDS.

Bob is survived by his partner of 20 years and husband John Davis; brother and sister-in-law David and Sandy Kovacs of Highland Heights, OH along with their children, Emily Kovacs of Key West, FL, Rachael and John Hromulak and great nephews Charlie and James, and Tom Kovacs of Highland Heights, OH; sister and brother-in-law Claudia and Scott James of Denver, CO along with their children Matt James and his wife Angela Petkoff of Denver, CO, and Alex and Kelly James and great nephew Owen of New York, NY; brother Jim (Hugene) Kovacs of San Francisco, CA. In addition, his loss is shared deeply by many chosen family in California, throughout the US, and in France. He will be so deeply missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations in Bob’s memory to Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley, 534 Abbott St, Salinas, CA 93901 (831.758.6325) mowsalinas.org

A memorial service is planned for November 9 at 11:00 at The Paul Mortuary Chapel, 390 Lighthouse Avenue in Pacific Grove. This will be available by live stream or recording for those unable to attend. Bob's family invites you to share lunch and memories immediately after the service.

There will be a larger Celebration of Life in 2025 when we can celebrate Bob more fully as we know he would want us to.