From: Terry Caine, May 2008

Bob started coming to the mountain around 1983 at the invitation of some friends who were weekenders at Bailey's. He liked it so much that he became a weekender. He would drive his motor home, a converted bus, to Palomar whenever he could get away. He was a master plumber in San Marcos, and owned his own shop.

I started coming to the mountain in 1974. Leased a campsite from Newt Bailey, rented one of the old housekeeping cabins from 1977 to 1979, then rented a cabin from Brad Bailey from 1979 to summer of 1984 when Brad decided he wanted to remodel his cabin for he and his family. I went back to the housekeeping cabin, and my son added on to it. I moved to the cabin in 1985. I got to know Bob at the Bailey functions.

Bob was the 'Mountain Plumber' for years and was asked by Cal Rainford to come and work for the Crestline Water Company. That's when he became a permanent resident.  In two weeks time, he found a house on Crestline that was in foreclosure and we were able to buy it. It broke my heart to leave Bailey's.

Bob subbed at Cuyamaca School Camp and then in the early '90's, the school camp on Palomar was in dire need of a maintenance engineer. After subbing on the mountain for a while, he got the job. I was working in the school camp kitchen and just as we were moving to Crestline, I passed the cook's test and became one.

We went to Colorado in 1997, visiting my kids and grandkids, and found a ten acre farm for sale. We bought it, retired from camp in July of '98, and moved to Colorado.

It was very hard to leave Palomar, we both loved it so, but I'm very thankful I'm in Pueblo right now with my four children so close. Nothing can ever take away my wonderful Palomar memories.

Bob passed away in his sleep on his 73rd birthday on April 27, 2008. He was diagnosed with lung cancer last June. He did not have to go through the final stages of cancer, and I am so relieved for that. A Memorial is being held here in Pueblo on Sunday.  In June, I will take his ashes back to North Carolina to be buried in the family cemetery.
I miss him tremendously, but I know he's in a better place.
Terry Caine

From: Shraddha Knight

Terry,
I send you my prayers & blessings for you and your family. Palomar lives in the hearts of us all and the collective memories.  I so understand your loss…and glad there was not a lot of suffering to Bob. Those we lose are already a part of us forever.
With fond memories:  Shraddha Knight-Druliner

From: Elliot Miller
I have good memories of Bob. He was our first plumber on the mountain. I can't believe he was 73, but yeah, I guess it's been over eighteen years since we first knew him.