Robert Chiavetta

Robert Joseph Chiavetta (“Bob”)
July 29, 1940 – July 17, 2026

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
— Ephesians 2:8-9

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Robert Joseph Chiavetta, better known as Bob, who passed away on July 17, 2026, at the age of 85.

Robert was born on July 29, 1940, in the Little Italy neighborhood of The Bronx, New York. As the youngest of three children, he spent much of his youth playing stickball and attending Major League Baseball games. He lived in New York until 1963, when he graduated from The City College of New York with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Electrical Engineering. He moved to California to pursue graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California, earning his Master’s degree in 1967 and his PhD in 1971.

After his move to California, Bob met and married Catharine Thomas in 1965. They settled in Anaheim, California and welcomed three treasured daughters in 1966, 1968, and 1970. The family moved to Laguna Niguel, California in 1972, and then to Renton, Washington in 1978. Bob lived in Washington until 2010, when he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He married his current wife, Gloria Schoenbach, in 2011, and made his final move to Valencia, California in 2022.

An exceptionally brilliant engineer, Bob worked for numerous companies, including McDonnell Douglas, Fluor, and Boeing, where he worked for 25 years, specializing in aerospace engineering and government defense projects.

Throughout his life Bob was passionate about professional baseball, especially the New York Yankees. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of baseball statistics, kept score in pen at games he attended, and purchased the American League Red Book and National League Green Book every year. He also loved movies and soundtracks, popular music of the 1950’s and 1960’s, television shows such as The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits, and working on difficult math equations.

Bob is survived by his wife, Gloria; children Lisa (Jason), Kristin (Tom), and Laura (Glenn); stepchildren Marc (Jill), Stacy, Michael, and Gary; numerous grandchildren, nieces, and nephews; and first wife, Catharine. He was preceded in death by his father Joseph, mother Louise, sister Mildred, brother Joe, and stepmother Carmella.

A Visitation and Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, August 11th, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at 28678 The Old Road, Valencia, CA. The Graveside Services will take place on Wednesday, August 12th, at 10:00am at Eternal Valley Memorial Park and Mortuary, 23287 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) if desired.

We are especially grateful to the caring staff at Oakmont Assisted Living of Valencia, California, where Bob resided in his final years, and to the staff at Affinity Healthcare Resources, who cared for him in his final days.