Robert Dominic Aubry

Robert Dominic Aubry—known to most as Bob—passed away peacefully on January 29, 2026, in hospice care at his home in Roseville, California, at the age of 78. He met death as he met life: with quiet courage, steady resolve, and an unshakable calm. Bob died from complications due to bladder cancer.

Born on March 13, 1947, in Beijing, China, to Bai Ming and Robert Joseph Aubry, Bob grew up in Taipei, Taiwan, with his younger siblings Larry (d. 2015) and Linda. After too many teenage hijinks, Bob was sent to boarding school at Saint Joseph College in Yokohama, Japan, where he graduated from high school at the age of 16. He then attended college at the University of San Francisco, before taking a leave to enlist in the United States Army in 1966.

Bob met the love of his life, his wife Diane, while he was stationed in Savannah, Georgia training to be a helicopter pilot. Bob and Diane married in December 1967 after a whirlwind six-week courtship. Bob served as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam from 1968-1969, and continued his military service in Taiwan; Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he and Diane welcomed the birth of their daughter Alison (b. 1971); Fort Ord, California; and Seoul, Korea, until his honorable discharge at the rank of Captain in 1976. While in the military, Bob also returned to college and graduated with a degree in political science from the University of San Francisco. After his military discharge, Bob and Diane had two more children, Robert (b. 1977) and Holly (b. 1979), and they raised their children while moving frequently between Taiwan, California and Virginia.

In 1986, Bob founded QPD International, an import-export business, out of his home office in Benicia, California. Through his tireless work, near-constant traveling, and aided by his fluency in Mandarin, QPD grew to become a successful global company with offices in Northern and Southern California, Taiwan, Singapore, China, and Indonesia.

Bob was a man of few words and immense depth. He was an avid reader with wide-ranging interests, from military history and spy thrillers to the novels of Jane Austen. He loved traveling, watching Chinese kung-fu movies, shopping the latest fashions, fishing with his best friend Jim, and playing golf as frequently as possible. He was Catholic by faith and Buddhist by heart—grounded in compassion and quiet reflection.

Bob is survived by his wife of 58 years, Diane; his three children: Alison (Paco), Robert (Dalia), and Holly; and his six grandchildren—Dylan, Emilia, Taylor, Baylon, Keylin, and Sasha —each of whom he adored and unapologetically spoiled. He is also survived by his beloved younger sister, Linda James, and nieces Lisa Aubry, Jennifer Rangel, and Ginger Miller, and nephews Raymond James, Justin Aubry, and Greg Miller.

Bob will be deeply missed and remembered as a man of generosity, thoughtfulness, and unwavering devotion to his family, his friends, and his country. He will also be remembered for his impeccable sense of style, his joyful James Brown dance moves, and his unforgettable Chinese cooking.

Bob will be laid to rest at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, a veterans cemetery in Dixon, California, on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. A celebration of life will follow immediately after at El Macero Country Club at 44571 Clubhouse Dr., El Macero, CA. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Bob’s honor to Swords to Plowshares.