Robert Roland Western

February 25, 1919 – June 25, 2011

Lois Amelia Western

April 18, 1919 – July 7, 2011

Monterey ~ This is the story of Bob & Lois, whose love and friendship could not be extinguished, even in death.

Bob, one of two boys and two girls, joined the 4H at San Rafael High School and graduated in 1936. He attended U.C. Davis, working toward a degree in landscaping, but the financial needs of the family and, later, the war, led him in another direction. Although animals would play a major role in his life, Bob held other jobs over the years - a sheet metal worker, ceramic assembly line worker, a seasonal ranch hand, a veterinary assistant and an animal control officer for the SPCA. He joined the Marine Reserves and became one of the over 4,000 Americans sent to Iceland as the first line of defense against a possible German invasion of the east coast. As a combat-ready Marine, Bob was sent from Iceland to the Pacific theater when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He fought on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, and Okinawa and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry under fire.

Lois, the only child of older parents, graduated from Dominican High School in 1936 and was awarded an AA degree from Marin Junior College (now College of Marin) in 1938. She worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in San Francisco and then became a switchboard operator for the Marin Municipal Water District. Lois was one of the first people to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge when it was completed in 1937.

After the war, Bob & Lois were introduced to one another by mutual friends, fell in love, and were married on November 17, 1946. They moved to the Monterey Peninsula to begin their new life and were rarely parted in over 65 years. They built Tri-City Dog & Cat Boarding Kennels next to the veterinary practice of Bob’s brother, Ralph. Bob did grooming, taught dog obedience courses and maintained the kennel. Lois worked at the front desk, delivered the evening feeding (dogs, cats, and husband), and did the bookkeeping. Bob’s skill at clipping dogs and the kennels reputation for giving special care attracted local celebrities, like Greer Garson and Bing Crosby. Tri-City was the choice when movies came to town and needed animal care. Bob and Lois hosted lions, trained parrots, a fawn and a movie stunt deer. They also cared for wild animals brought to Bob’s brother for rehab. There were pygmy owls, a harbor seal, a sea otter, and a coatimundi (a visual cross between a raccoon, with the nose of a pig, and a long clawed badger with the gait of an anteater.)

There was time for fun as well. Bob was one of the first free-divers in Monterey Bay. Lois would help him into a thin rubber dry-suit and seal it by tightening a pipe clamp with a screwdriver. His job was to bring home abalone for dinner and her job was to sit on shore and worry. That was the “buddy system” in those days. Bob also raised chinchillas, rabbits, and just enough chickens for morning eggs. Lois was a devout Catholic and would often volunteer at St. Angela’s Church. She loved to sew, knit, embroider, draw, and create nature scenes with glass and ceramic tiles. They also loved to dance. It reminded them of their first dates at the USO and with friends at an outdoor pavilion in the redwood trees, surrounded by colored lights and a bright white moon. They both loved to garden and work on their property on Garrapata Ridge above Palo Colorado Canyon, between Carmel and Big Sur.

Bob and Lois had three children. Their first son, John Robert, was stillborn. They waited two years before having another, a boy named Robert John, and later a girl, Dorothy Anne. They had two grandchildren and three great grandchildren at the time of their passing.

Their life changed in 2004 when Lois had a stroke that paralyzed her on the right side. Bob became her caregiver. He rarely complained about the hard work of caring for his love. They would kiss and say “I love you,” every night till Bob could no longer speak. As he got weaker, their children took over more of their daily care, allowing them to remain at home to their final days.

Bob (Robert Roland Western), 92, passed away quietly, with his two children at his side, on June 25, 2011. Lois (Lois Amelia Putnam Western), also 92, could not stand to be without her love and best friend. Despite reasonably good health, she closed her eyes and followed him twelve days later on July 7, 2011.

Bob was preceded in death by his sisters, Dorothy Weston and Pearl Reeves; his mother, Susan Ault, and his brother, Ralph Weston, of Carmel, CA. Lois was preceded in death by her parents, John Melvin and Amelia Brown Putnam.

They are survived by their children, Robert John Western of Monterey and Dorothy Anne Rhoads of Lemoore, CA; their grandchildren, Mandy Vannote and Tom Rhoads, both of Lemoore, and three great-grandchildren.

A very special thanks to the fine people at the Hospice and VNA for making it possible for Bob and Lois to remain home to the end of their lives (and to Medicare for paying for it.) Also, thank you to the wonderful volunteers at Meals On Wheels who were so kind over the years.

Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Angela Merici Church this Monday, July 18 at 11 A.M. followed by interment at Mission Memorial Park in Seaside. A celebration of their lives will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Program at the SPCA of Monterey County, PO Box 3058, Monterey, 93942-3058 or to the donor’s favorite charity. Please visit www.thepaulmortuary.com to sign the guest book for Bob and Lois and leave messages for their family.