He was born on his grandparent’s farm to Odus Samuel Aslin and Mayme Elma Bobbitt, in Bloomfield, Stoddard Country, Missouri on March 7, 1920. His father worked the family farm and his mother taught in a one room school. Bob and his two sisters, Mildred & Jewel attended their mother’s school, sometimes getting there by wagon.
The family left the farm to find work and Bob graduated from Flint Michigan High School. His first job was working for 35¢ an hour at the AC Spark Plug Corporation. Next he was as a bellman at the Durant Hotel in Flint where he was able to meet Edgar Guest, one of his favorite authors.
Bob enlisted in the US Navy in October 1941 and went to Aviation Mechanics School. He took a troop transport ship to Pearl Harbor 3 months after the attack. He then enrolled in Naval Flight School and returned to Los Angeles where he attended USC as a Naval Cadet Student. He attended various other schools including UCLA.
From 1953 to 1955 he was stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He was then stationed at Point Mugu, California and served in the Navy as a pilot for 17 years. His many civilian jobs included work for an insurance agency, owning a health food business and his own child care center. After his service in the Navy, he initially lived in Ventura and then moved to Santa Paula with his first wife, Marie Lutz and their two children.
After his wife passed away, Bob met and married Joyce Pyne in 1980. They lived and worked in Ventura for many years before retiring in 2000 to Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years Joyce and two children from his first marriage; Susie Byrd of Cave Junction, Oregon, and Douglas and his wife Christy and their son Tanner of Victor, Idaho. His grandchildren: Charlie Vanoni of Ventura, Drew, Dorian, and Darby Farmer of Buellton and Ariel Iskaku of Los Angeles. Also 7 great-grandsons, 2 great granddaughters, 3 nieces and 2 nephews. Along with 4 step children, 11 step grandchildren and 13step great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Rd, Ventura Friday, October 7, 2011 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. A graveside service will be at Ivy Lawn Cemetery, 5400 Valentine Rd, Ventura, Saturday, October 8, 2011 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the General Missionary Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/missionary/)
Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home and Crematory, 3150 Loma Vista Road, Ventura. Condolences may be left at TedMayrFuneralHome .com.
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