Robert Gueymard Haydock

Robert (“Bob”) Gueymard Haydock, 79, passed away at home in Mill Valley, CA, on January 24, 2015. Born September 11, 1935 in Colon, Panama, he was the only child of Marguerite Gueymard and George Haydock. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Yukiko Hoshino Haydock and is survived by his wife, Karen, and several cousins.

Bob was a versatile and talented commercial artist with enormous creativity and imagination. He was a gracious, loyal and generous friend whose sense of humor and innovative solutions to problems will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed.

Bob spent his early childhood in Panama, where the family had moved for his father’s work. He was fluent in Spanish, a skill he maintained throughout his life. He recalled being thrilled by magazine illustrations even as a child. This interest grew into a passion for graphic design. The family relocated to Puerto Rico in 1949, where Bob completed high school and started his career as a commercial artist by drawing a weekly cartoon for a local newspaper.

Bob attended Stanford University in Palo Alto CA., graduating in 1957 with a journalism degree. There, he joined the US Air Force ROTC and learned to fly small airplanes. In 1958, the Air Force sent him to Tokyo, Japan where he served two years of active duty as a Lieutenant and met his future wife, Yukiko Hoshino.

When he returned to the US, Bob attended Art Center School of Design in Pasadena, CA. After graduating in 1964, he moved to San Francisco and began his successful career as a freelance commercial artist. His clients included many major corporations and book publishers.

Bob and Yukiko married in 1966 and moved to their home in Mill Valley in 1973. In the early 1980s, they collaborated on five successful cookbooks, “Japanese Garnishes”, “More Japanese Garnishes”, “Classic Deem Sum”, “Oriental Appetizers” and “Food in a Japanese Mood”. Bob created the illustrations, wrote the text, and did the photography; Yukiko was the food stylist, developing the recipes and cooking. For several years, they were active members of the San Francisco Professional Food Society and made many friends in the food industry. Sadly, Yukiko died of cancer in 1987.

Bob developed an interest in computer graphics and animation and was an early avid user of the Apple computers for graphics and web-site development. He was involved in testing new software as a developer for the start-up firm Macromedia before the company went public. Bob created web-based graphics and animation for advertising, corporate training and educational applications. His multimedia clients included American President Lines, Apple Computer, and the Audubon Society, among others. Bob never officially retired and continued his work in computer graphics for many years.

Bob met Karen Gilbert, a CPA, in 1988; they were together as a couple for many years and were married in 2010. Bob and Karen enjoyed the beauty of Marin County and traveled locally and throughout the US. They were especially close to Karen’s family and spent many happy holidays and vacations with them. Karen and Bob loved music and the arts, their friends, their family, and their two cats.

There will be a Memorial Service, to be announced at a later date. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, Hospice by the Bay or the Marin Humane Society.