Robert A Brennen

Robert A Brennen was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Robert was born on December 10, 1940 at Los Angeles County General Hospital in Los Angeles, California. His parents were Robert and Belen Brennen. Robert was raised in Santa Barbara, California. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

As a young child, Robert was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Robert developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Robert took part in Baseball and Karate. He was a 10. In his spare time he liked Reading Comics and music. However, what Robert enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Robert as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1958. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was English. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mrs. Lee. Black Belt in Tae Kwondo (3rd degree). Robert was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Robert always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Robert handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Robert was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. Robert was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Robert well during his college experience. He earned his AA in Sociology. His favorite courses were English and Speech. His favorite professor was Dr. Steven Edwards. Writing fictional stories for the college newpaper.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Robert was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Robert was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Robert to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Adam Ybarra, Tom Greathouse, Erik Anderson, George from Bonita Condes. Later in life, he became friends with David Gonzalez, Dolores Carrillo, Michael Beltran and Tony Lyons.

Compassionate and devoted to Rose Anne, Robert held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Rose Anne and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Robert brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Robert was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Robert was blessed with 9 children, three sons, Robert, Matthew and Edward and five daughters, Rhoda, Elizabeth, Beatrice, Josephine and Veronica (stepdaughter) and Kerry (stepson)..

Robert greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Robert enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Robert was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was Accounting Technician. He was employed for Department of Defense for 15 years. Robert worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Robert was in the Army. He was in the Rangers. Robert saw action for Vietnam. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of PFC special training. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Robert seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Robert liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Robert always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were guitar playing (Mexican Music). Robert was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Robert found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Robert played Track and Baseball. In his college years, Robert continued to stay active by teaching Karate. Recreational sports included jogging 6 miles a day to work. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Football and Baseball.

Many organizations were grateful to have Robert as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Robert was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. In high school, Robert was a member of the Science Club. Throughout his later years, Robert was an active member of the Catholic Charities foodbank ( volunteer).

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Robert was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Robert preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Robert was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Robert was a member of several community groups, including serving on committees for the St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities.

Robert was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member St. Joseph's Cathedral for 10 years. During that time, he was Volunteer Coordinator for the food bank. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Robert sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. He was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned Robert many accolades for his efforts and achievements. Some of his most prestigious awards included always doing an excellent job.

Robert enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Robert appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Robert always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included hiking in the Santa Barbara Mountains.

Robert was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Robert’s favorites was Cat named "Geoge". They were best friends for 15 years.

When Robert’s retirement finally arrived in 1999, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Chula Vista, California. In retirement, he found new pleasure in computer work. Even in retirement, Robert continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Robert A Brennen passed away on May 5, 2010 at San Diego, California. He fought a brave battle against heart disease. He is survived by his wife, Rose Anne and children Rhoda, Robert, Matthewm Elizabeth, Josephine and Veronica and 20 grandchildren. Services were held at Humphrey Mortuary. Robert was laid to rest in Bonita House in Bonita California.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Robert A Brennen. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.