Robert William Schempp

Robert William Schempp was born on March 27, 1945 to Frances and Alfred Schempp in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Pomona, CA with his sister, Gail, graduating from Ganesha High in 1963. In elementary school, Rob demonstrated an early love of engineering when he took his father’s brand-new lawn mower apart but couldn’t put it back together—unhappy Dad! He worked his way through college at Alpha Beta Market, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona. During college, he met the catch of his life on a blind date and married her in 1967. (She had to sign a contract that he could go hunting and fishing whenever he wanted, written by her Dad.) After graduating from college, Rob started work at the Metropolitan Water District in the Los Angeles office on Sunset Blvd. He worked for Met his entire career, becoming a registered electrical engineer and retiring after 35 years.

During he and Val’s marriage, he supported all of her endeavors, including attending conventions for Delta Theta Chi Sorority, building dinosaurs for her first graders, attending concerts and erecting sets for multiple musicals. In 1970, his life was changed forever by the birth of his son, Tim. Four years later, Camirin was born and the family of four lived in Monterey Park. Every summer was spent camping and fishing, starting or ending in Mammoth Lakes. Rob fully participated in his kids’ activities, including swim team, Boy Scouts (taught backpacking), Girl Scouts (set up many tents), sports, while still making time for his passion for fishing and hunting. The family lived by the seasons: trout opener, dove opener, quail opener, pheasant opener.

After retirement in 2000, Val and Rob were able to travel to Washington DC, Hawaii, Canada and Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia/New Zealand, the British Isles and from Venice to Barcelona on a Mediterranean cruise. When daughter-in-law Michele decided to go back to teaching in 2014, they sold the house in Walnut and moved to Yorba Linda to be closer to the grandkids. Papa drove them to school, picked them up and took them wherever they needed to go.

Rob was a wonderful husband, a loving father and grandfather and a dear friend to many. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, his son and daughter and his grandchildren plus his dog, Brandy, and a plethora of family and friends.

If a memorial donation is desired, please consider the von Hippel-Lindau Alliance in Rob’s name, a support and research organization for this genetic cancer that has impacted our family.

VHL Alliance, 1208 VFW Parkway, Suite 303, Boston, MA  02132-4344 or at VHL.org