Robert Lewis Lango

Robert "Bob" wore many hats in his accomplished life. He wore his first hat on December 13, 1938, when he was born to Valentin and Maria Lango to become number 13 in a family of 16. Bob wore his second hat as a popular athlete at San Joaquin Memorial High School where he earned All American honors in football, and won over the heart of his high school sweetheart and lifelong love, Esther Ruiz.

Bob wore his next three hats in rapid succession. He wore his academic hat by graduating with a degree in Accounting from California State University, Fresno. He wore his worker's hat by becoming a controller for United Packing Co. And, he wore his father's hat, as proudly as anyone could, by welcoming to the world his first and only son Steven.

Bob wore his entrepreneur's hat in 1986, where he left his work to start his own business, Lango Enterprises. Bob worked as a commercial real estate broker, joining his wife at Lango Real Estate in the early 1990s. Bob successfully grew his business, highlighted with an award-winning office building located at the corner of Palm and Browning. Shortly thereafter, Bob proudly put on his grandfather hat when his first and only grandson, Lucas Robert Lango, was born.

Although time and age sometimes quell curiosity and adventure, the opposite was true of Bob. In his later years, Bob wore as many hats as he did in his earlier years. He wore the hat of a historian, studying the history of Mexican revolutionaries, in particular that of Pancho Villa. He wore the hat of an aficionado, falling in love with mariachi music. He wore the hat of a traveler, venturing from Hawaii to Rome, including frequent trips to his second home in La Jolla, CA, and a once in a lifetime trip culminating in an audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in Rome, Italy.

Of the many hats that Bob wore throughout his years, there were three hats that were a constant in his life. First, Bob had a friendliness towards strangers, particularly those he felt were down on their luck. One of Bob's favorite sayings was from St. Augustine, "There is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future." Second, Bob was a loyal friend. He may have disagreed with you on many issues, but he was the friend that was there for you when you needed him. And, third, Bob was very religious. He attended mass almost every Sunday for over 50 years at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

It is with bittersweet acceptance that Bob put on his final hat on Friday, April 6, 2018. On that day, Bob said goodbye to his surviving relatives and friends, including his wife Esther; his son, Steven and his wife Marla; his brothers, Luis, Richard, Tony, Peter, and Larry; his sisters, Josephine and Mary; and his grandson Lucas. But he will once again say hello to those who left before him, including his parents, Valentine and Mary; his brothers, Mac and Joe; his sisters, Matilda, Beatrice, Lucy, Sister Esther, Ramona, and Agnes; and his nieces, nephews, and friends who left us far too early.

But no goodbyes are final. Bob knew this. And with that, he tips his final hat, smiles, and is reunited with loved ones in heaven's version of the Lango Ranch.

Visitation will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. followed by a Recitation of the Holy Rosary at 7:00 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. Interment to follow at St. Peter's Cemetery.