Robert Martin Blomstad

Robert Martin Blomstad was born at home in Berkeley, CA on December 29, 1921 to Conrad Blomstad and Hilda De Souza. Raised in Oakland, Bob eventually lived most of his life in Hayward. He enlisted in the Navy and served as an electrician throughout World War II and the Korean Conflict. Married in August of 1945 to Dorris Eckhart, their marital union gave birth to two children: Susan in 1946 and Tom in 1948. Bob and Dorris, both converts to the Catholic faith, made their faith a large part of their lives. Bob served as an active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at All Saints parish in Hayward for many years. Supporting his family as an electrician, he was employed at Parks Air Force Base and then Alameda Naval Air Station before he retired. He was an avid slide photographer and his subjects were the various beautiful landscapes in the Sierra Nevada range and in New Mexico, a frequent vacation spot for Bob and Dorris. Dorris died in 1999 and Bob lived in Hayward until 2007, when he moved to Villa Santa Barbara to be near his daughter, who was the Director of Mission Renewal Center at the Old Mission. He volunteered his skills as an electrician at the Mission a few days each week until 2013. In August of 2014, he and his daughter moved to an apartment together. He is survived by his two children, Susan, a Franciscan Sister, and Tom, who lives in Oregon.

He was blessed with mental health until his death, primarily caused by mesothelioma. Death occurred after a month of hospice care on January 5th, 2017. Funeral services will be held at 11 am on Thursday, February 2 at Old Mission Santa Barbara. Burial will be in Hayward where his wife is buried.