My heartfelt condolences to the O'Rourke family ~

I had the privilege of operating our business inside of RJO Produce for several years.  Our office space overlooked the RJO team, led by Rob and John and their amazing team.

I will never forget the occasional bursts of laughter from Rob.  Laughter that was deep, spontaneous, that came from the feet up. The kind of laugh that could only be genuine and heartfelt.  That was Rob.  Always genuine, kind, caring, compassionate and appreciative.  I will never forget brainstorming an idea with him, he was brilliant. He taught me so much through the examples he set.  Rob was a man of action. One of the hardest working people I’ve ever known, who helped build a business with real integrity.  He will be forever missed but never, ever forgotten. 

My memories of Rob will be that of a man with a life well lived.  I had the pleasure of knowing Rob for many years both personally and professionally.  He was a kind-hearted man, filled with compassion for people and showed that through the support he gave to many charitable efforts and his willingness to help others.  Rob was a principled person, both in his everyday life and in business he always sought to do the right thing. I enjoyed our time together at work when we were strategizing on how to make the produce that we sold in our stores the best it could be, and the times we spent enjoying each other’s company away from day to day work. The memories I have of those times are some of the best stories I can tell, too many to capture here, but they will live on as I remember those times fondly.  The passion Rob had for life and for those closest to him was always evident to anyone that would meet Rob. That light has passed on, but we are all left here with the wonderful memories of a loving Husband and Father, a good friend to many, and a man who helped us all live our lives a bit better.  My Wife Andrea and I send our thoughts and prayers to Monica and the entire O’Rourke family. 

On a recommendation, I went to meet Rob in 1988 to help him install a computer program I had worked with extensively. I was in my 2nd at Fresno State and looking for a part time job. We hit it off right away and that day of work turned into a 4-year college job that always worked around my school schedule! Rob became the closest thing I ever had to a big brother - he took me on trips, taught me how to ski (snow and water) and even had me to live with his family for about a year. We had stayed in loose contact since that time. Rob added to my life immeasurably and I will sincerely miss him!

I had the pleasure of meeting Rob on the annual Brothers ski trip to Aspen, rooming with him twice. What a fantastic person. Rob was warm, genuine, funny and always laughing. I will miss him greatly. My thoughts go out to his family. 

It’s with a profound sadness that I write this note about Rob. However, I can say that it’s was truly an honor to have work with and counted Rob as a friend. When I think about Rob I know that he added to my life in many ways. He was a great person. He cared about people and was genuine. I feel blessed that our paths crossed and I could always count on him for good advise and his wisdom. I will miss him but I know that he is in heaven and we will meet again. His family is in my thoughts and prayers. 

OBITUARY

Robert O'Rourke

August 3, 1963 – July 12, 2018

Whitehurst Sullivan Burns & Blair Funeral Home

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