Robert Ora Wren

Bob's obituary

Robert Ora Wren, lovingly known as "Bob," passed away peacefully on April 28, 2026, in La Mirada, California, just three days before his 85th birthday. He was born on May 1, 1941, at Murphy Memorial Hospital in Whittier, California, to Robert George Wren and Margaret Agnes (Kirk) Wren. He spent his childhood in East Los Angeles alongside his beloved sister, Elizabeth "Betty."

Bob attended St. Alphonsus School in Los Angeles before graduating from Cantwell High School in Montebello in 1959. Soon afterward, he proudly joined the United States Naval Reserve before serving on active duty. He served aboard the USS Mitchell and later made numerous voyages between San Francisco and Okinawa aboard military transport ships carrying Marines. Bob always spoke with deep admiration for the Marines and remained proud of his military service throughout his life. His family is equally proud of his service to our country.

After returning home, Bob married Francine Valente in 1963. Together they welcomed their daughter, Kathleen Rene Wren. Although their marriage was brief, Bob remained a loving and devoted father to Kathleen. He also began what would become a distinguished career with the Southern California Gas Company, where he worked as a Meter Prover and Inspector before advancing into management.

In 1971, Bob met Beverly Lynne Stephen while they were both working for Southern California Gas Company in Pico Rivera. Their meeting would forever change not only their own lives, but the lives of an entire family.

When Bob married Beverly on August 18, 1972, in Las Vegas—a wedding made even more memorable by seeing Elvis Presley perform live—he didn't simply gain a wife. He wholeheartedly embraced Beverly's four young children as his own. From that day forward, Shelley, Randall, Sharyl, and Ronald never felt like "stepchildren." They simply had a Dad who loved them without hesitation or condition. The following year, Bob and Beverly welcomed their son, Christopher Robert Wren, completing the family they would lovingly raise together.

For more than fifty years, Bob and Beverly built a home where everyone was welcome, laughter was abundant, and family always came first. Their home on De Alcala Drive in La Mirada became the heart of the family—a place where birthdays were celebrated, holidays were cherished, grandchildren played, and lifelong memories were made. It was a home built not only with hard work, but with unconditional love.

Bob was the steady, dependable patriarch every family hopes for. He worked hard, kept his word, and quietly showed his love through everyday acts of kindness. Whether fixing something around the house, lending a helping hand, or simply being there when someone needed him, Bob could always be counted on. He welcomed his children's spouses into the family with open arms: David Tripp, Kellie Stephen, Dan Hess, and Danielle Wren.

Nothing brought Bob greater joy than being "Grandpa." He treasured every moment with his grandchildren: Holly Lynne Tripp, Jonathan Charles Tripp, Samantha Rae Piker, Elijah Valentine Varela Wren, Walker Christopher Wren, Nolan Robert Wren, Kinsley Rae Wren, and Emersyn Eve Wren.

He also welcomed his grandchildren's spouses—Brittney Rose, Joslen Tripp, and Murat Piker—as part of the family. His great-grandchildren—Jase David Tripp, Jett Jonathan Tripp, Ashlynn Rose, Joah Clayton Tripp, and Jessa Shae Tripp—filled him with immeasurable pride and happiness.

Retirement gave Bob and Beverly more than twenty wonderful years of adventures with the Freewheelers RV Camping Club. As the club's longtime photographer, Bob captured countless memories with the same care and attention to detail that he brought to everything he did. His family often heard one of his favorite sayings: "If you don't do it right the first time, don't even do it at all."

Bob enjoyed amateur (ham) radio, camping with family, good food, playing Solitaire and FreeCell, tinkering with projects, and fixing just about anything. But above all else, he loved simply being surrounded by the people who meant the most to him.

Bob is survived by his children, his beloved sister, Elizabeth "Betty" Garcia, and brother-in-law, Larry Garcia; his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by the love of his life, Beverly Lynne Wren; his parents, Robert George and Margaret Agnes Wren; his beloved grandmother, Theodosia Jane Bristol Kirk Hurst; and his precious grandson, Nolan Robert Wren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Bob's memory to CHOC Children's Hospital's Pediatric Cardiac NICU. This cause became especially meaningful to our family and continues to honor both Bob and Beverly's legacy of love and compassion.

A Celebration of Bob's Life will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, as an Open House with a Patriotic Theme from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the family home, 13439 De Alcala Drive, La Mirada, California. Bob and Beverly raised generations of our family in this beloved home, and we invite everyone who knew and loved them to stop by, share stories, enjoy a meal, and celebrate two lives that were truly well lived.

Please RSVP to Sharyl Hess by email at sharylrae@aol.com, by text at (760) 275-3291, or by replying through this site.

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There are fathers who become dads by birth, and there are fathers who become dads by choice. Bob chose to love four children as his own, and in doing so, became the only dad we ever needed. His quiet strength, unwavering love, generous heart, and steadfast example shaped our lives in ways words cannot fully express.

His greatest accomplishment wasn't found in his military service, his successful career, or the many things he built with his hands. It was the family he built with his heart.

While our hearts ache with his absence, we find peace in knowing that Bob and Beverly are together once again—the love of each other's lives, reunited at last. Their love lives on in every child, grandchild, great-grandchild, and friend whose life they touched. Their greatest legacy will always be the family they built together.