Robert Eugene Hollister

Robert Eugene Hollister, born on October 11, 1939, passed away at age 84 after two years of declining health on January 12, 2024.  He was preceded in death by his wife Joanne Hollister.

Robert (“Bob”) was born to Eugene Delos Hollister and Luella Kay Connor Hollister in San Francisco. Bob had an older sister who tragically passed away as a girl before Bob was born. He grew up in the Piedmont area of Oakland, CA. Starting at a very young age, he worked at his Uncle’s liquor store in Oakland. Bob graduated in the late 50’s from Oakland Tech High School where he played football and was very involved in the choir. Bob could harmonize with the best of them, even as an old man!

After high school, Bob joined the Air Force, serving a total of 12 years. He served as an Air Policeman and was stationed at many bases around the world in the late 50’s and 60’s. His family can remember him telling stories of being stationed in Japan and Germany. In 1963 during his enlistment in the Air Force, Bob married Joanne Beggs. They spent their first few years of marriage stationed in North Carolina. In the mid 60s, Bob became an Air Force recruiter and returned to the Bay Area in Fremont, CA.

In 1971, Bob started his State Farm business in Fremont and then moved his office to Milpitas where he ran a successful agency for 49 years. Bob felt that he was given the opportunity of a lifetime when he began his agency.  He was always very thankful for State Farm, and he thoroughly enjoyed helping his clients.

As Bob approached retirement, the highlight of his day was going to eat at Dino’s Restaurant almost daily. He enjoyed the company of a group of men that would meet regularly at Dino’s for lunch, and he appreciated the friendship and care of the employees at the restaurant.

When looking back on his life, Bob was proud of the time that he had spent refereeing high school basketball and youth baseball in Fremont. He was active in the Fremont Rotary in the 80’s and was President in 1984. Bob enjoyed watching his kids and grandkids play sports. He generously made donations to their sports programs. In fact, Bob was well-known for his generosity, often helping financially to ease people’s burdens or simply to put a smile on their faces.

Bob is greatly missed by his children Brian (Jackie), Keith (Staci), and Robin, and his grandchildren Mackenzie, Connor, and André, and the rest of his family and friends.

Bob tragically lost his father when he was a boy, but he fondly remembered that his father used to share with him ice-cream dipped in coffee. Here is to Bob Hollister, finally reunited in heaven with his father and the loved ones who went before him, certainly sharing a vanilla ice-cream dipped in coffee.