Robb Roy Renfro Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

ROBB ROY RENFRO February 11, 1944 – March 11, 2021 On Thursday, March 11, 2021, Robb Roy Renfro, peacefully passed away in Laguna Niguel, CA surrounded by his loving children& grandchildren after 77 years of life filled with positive relationships, fun times, and a few tragedies. Robb is remembered mainly for his dedication & service to his family& friends, fun easy spirited nature, always smiling face, strong work ethic, generosity, & funny stories (that often started with the phrase “I almost died laughing”). In February, 1944 Robb’s parents, Neil Wayne & Lois Renfro, brought him into an energetic, spirited family of 5 boys and 2 girls living in a small house in Hollywood, CA. He graduated from Hollywood High School in 1963 with academic strengths in math & engineering and enlisted in the Air force from 1964-68 where he was trained as a refrigeration engineer. While stationed near Denver, naturally gregarious Robb flirted with the teller at the bank where he cashed his paychecks, Kathy Hurst. The two dated, danced, fell in love, and were married a couple of years later in 1966. They soon settled in Yorba Linda, CA to raise their two children Leslie & Marc, in a loving and supportive home where they lived in the same house for 45 years. Robb & Kathy’s third child, Jeffrey, died of SIDS at the young age of 3-months old in 1978. Jeffrey’s death was a crushing tragedy for the family but Robb persevered as the family’s leader supporting and comforting his wife and kids through their grieving. After his honorable discharge from the Air Force, Robb earned a technical degree as a Piping Engineer. While Robb pursued his career, working 60 hours per week, as an engineer at San Onofre Nuclear Plant in the 1970’s and 1980’s he was also very involved in Kathy, Leslie & Marc’s lives taking Kathy out Dining & Dancing weekly, serving as head coach for Leslie & Marc’s sports teams, Indian Guides Chief, and supporting his wife & kids in all of their interests and endeavors. Robb was very proud to have been a member of the construction team that helped build San Onofre and he often stated that it is the “safest nuclear power plant in the world”! Robb’s work ethic & energy level is legendary! Leslie, had very bad asthma & allergies in the 1970’s before inhalers and modern meds and would often have evening attacks requiring Robb to take her to hospital most of the night. Although sleep deprived Robb would get up early at 5am to go to work the next day, often working 16-hour double shifts. In the 1990’s Robb’s career transitioned from San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant to working in the oil refineries in Carson. When the Oil Industry & economy crashed he could not find work in the U.S. and was forced to take a job working in the oil fields in Siberia, Russia where he worked hard but after a year of bitterly cold temperatures and unhealthy Russian diet became severely ill and almost died before returning home. He finished his career working in the Carson Oil Refinery for Conoco Phillips in 2012, retiring at age 68. Robb loved his wife Kathy dearly and befriended her family as his own. They both enjoyed dancing, fine dining, &vacationing with family/friends in the great outdoors at Lake Havasu, Lake Powell, &the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains around Kern River where Robb’s father Neil had a cabin. Robb loved to surprise Kathy with small heartfelt gifts and sometimes bigger gifts like high performance water skiing boats and new Chevy Corvettes. Some of Robb’s passions in life were fast cars, fast boats, fast motorcycles, shooting guns, telling tall tales, fishing, & camping in the great outdoors. Robb passed his love for the great outdoors on to his kids and grandchildren, teaching them shooting, fishing, and outdoor skills while building their confidence, self-esteem, and shared love of nature. In 2009 tragedy struck Robb’s life again when his wife of 43 years, Kathy, died suddenly and unexpectedly of unknown illness. Kathy’s death broke all of our hearts because she was still young at 66 and we could feel Robb’s pain from this major loss in his life. All of Robb’s retirement dreams of travelling, dancing with, and enjoying his golden years with Kathy were lost in just a few days time as doctor’s tried in vain to diagnose her illness and save her life while she was on life support in the ICU where Marc worked. While grief stricken after Kathy’s passing, Robb lead the family in honoring Kathy, celebrating her life at her funeral, and comforting us. Then with a giving heart, Robb used the modest life insurance settlement check from Kathy’s death to buy a toy hauler camper trailer, dune buggy, and a quad motorcycle ATV for each of his grandchildren. If he could not spend his retirement years with Kathy then he would use them to be with his grand-children enjoying the great outdoors and teaching them how to ride off-road. We all have very fond memories of our times camping together, off-roading and listening to Robb’s tall tales around the campfire in the high desert around Victorville and down in the Anza Borrego Desert east of San Diego…Thank You Robb! While most people like dogs, Robb literally loved them…ALL of them! And all dogs loved him back too! We’ve never seen dogs get so excited to hang-out with a human quite the way they loved to be with Robb’s loving spirit. We all share a lasting image of Robb driving up in his gigantic raised Dodge Ram 2500 Pickup Truck, with super loud exhaust headers, while the dogs freaked out in our house because they recognized the tone of his truck engine which they could hear from a couple of miles away several minutes before he parked in front of our house. When he arrived he climbed down from the driver’s seat smiling and holding his beloved tiny white teacup poodle Sammy while the other dogs clamored for his attention. He usually brought the dogs a treat or new toy and he would laugh and play with them for hours on end! Robb was preceded in death by his parents, son Jeffrey, wife Kathy, & brother Denny. He is survived by his five sisters and brothers; Charlene, Sandy, Neil Wayne, Terry, & Greggy as well as his two children Leslie & Marc and his three grandchildren Cheyanne, Kyle, & Dakota. FUNERAL SERVICE Our Celebration of Robb’s life will be held at Memory Garden Memorial Park & Mortuary on the lawn at his gravesite on Saturday, April 3d at 12noon. Followed by lunch together from 1:00-3:00pm at El Torito Restaurant in Yorba Linda. April 3rd at 12:00 noon Memory Garden Memorial Park & Mortuary 455 W Central Ave, Brea, CA 92821 April 3d at 1:00pm El Torito Restaurant 22699 Oakcrest Circle, Yorba Linda, CA 92887

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Robb Roy Renfro

February 11, 1944 - March 11, 2021