Robert Paul Kasak

Robert Paul Kasak May 27, 1945 – June 13, 2026

Robert Paul Kasak — Bob — was born on May 27, 1945, in Austin, Minnesota to Robert and Irene Kasak. The second of seven children, he grew up surrounded by family and a hometown spirit that never left him, even as life took him far and wide. Among his most treasured memories were the summers spent at Fishtrap Lake in Minnesota, where his grandfather first taught him to fish. That lake became the heartbeat of the Kasak family — the place where reunions were held, honeymoons were spent, and generations gathered under enormous Minnesota moons on long, warm summer nights. His brothers and sisters were among his greatest loves in life, and you couldn't walk into a room of his house without finding a photo of all of them together.

After high school, Bob proudly served his country in the United States Navy from 1964 to 1968, stationed primarily aboard the USS Canberra. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Star.

During his Navy years, Bob met Margaret Lopez, a California girl from San Ysidro. They married on May 27, 1967 — his birthday — in San Ysidro, and shortly after his discharge, Bob moved his young and growing family to his hometown of Austin, Minnesota, where their daughter Elizabeth was born in 1968. The family later moved to Fremont, Nebraska, where Bob worked at Hormel Foods, and their daughter Cynthia was born in 1971. But California had a pull that couldn't be denied — so in 1972 the family returned to San Diego, where Bob would spend the rest of his life.

Back in San Diego, Bob reinvented himself with characteristic determination. He enrolled at Mesa Junior College, earned a spot on the Dean's List, and transferred to San Diego State University, where he earned his degree in Business Administration around 1978. To make ends meet during those years, he tended bar for his good friend Al Jonah at the Playhouse on El Cajon Boulevard — and in true Bob fashion, many of his lifelong friendships were forged right there at that bar.

Bob and Margaret divorced in 1975, though they remained close and he always held her warmly in his heart.

He went on to build a distinguished career in real estate appraisal, beginning at the San Diego County Assessor's Office, then moving to Washington Mutual Bank as a commercial appraiser, and ultimately spending 20 years with Chase Bank before his retirement.

Bob lived the way most people only dream of. His friends loved to travel, and so did he — with the kind of joy and openness that made every destination an adventure. He explored Costa Rica (his favorite place on earth, where he once seriously considered retiring), Australia, Alaska, all over Mexico, and countless other destinations. He followed his beloved San Diego Chargers to away games across the country, with New Orleans being his favorite — a city that matched his energy perfectly. In 1995, he was there in Miami when the Chargers made it to the Super Bowl, one of the great memories of his fan life.

Bob was a proud, lifelong San Diego Chargers fanatic, an avid golfer, and a devoted Parrothead who never missed a chance to channel his inner Jimmy Buffett. He was a longtime OMBAC member, a regular at the Press Box and the VFW in his later years, and a man who believed deeply that there was nothing better in life than a cold beer on a beach — any beach. He liked his beer cold and his scotch neat, and he never needed much more than that to be perfectly content. He had a generous heart and quietly supported those less fortunate.

In his final years, Bob was cared for with great devotion by his dear companion Patsy Balfe, who stood by him faithfully until the end.

Bob is survived by his daughters, Elizabeth Ann Klaser and Cynthia Leah Chavez; his sons-in-law Kurt Klaser and Frank Chavez; his grandchildren Anthony Flores, Alexis Flores, Joshua West, Marcos Kasak, Joseph Chavez, and Cheyenne Chavez Wright; his great-grandchildren Alexander Kasak, Niko Kasak, and Tommy Wright (expected July 2026); his six siblings Bill Kasak (Louise), Judy Langowski (predeceased by her husband John), Mary Jo Keating (predeceased by her husband Michael), Tom Kasak (Peggy Halverson-Kasak), Barbie Ann Wagner (Terry), and Jeff Kasak (Chris); and his 14 nieces and nephews who all adored their "cool" Uncle Bob.

His life was too large for any paragraph to contain. The people who knew Bob each carry their own version of him — their own story, their own memory, their own moment where he made them feel like the most important person in the room. That was his gift.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, July 9, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Bravo Family Mortuary, followed by funeral services and interment at Miramar National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a veterans' charity supporting homeless and at-need veterans — a cause that was close to Bob's heart. https://vvsd.net/donate/

"Some of it's magic, some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way."

— Jimmy Buffett, He Went to Paris

Raise a cold one for Bob. He earned it. 🍺