Robert K. Raleigh
1929 – 2024
Robert K. Raleigh, more well known as Bob, traveled to the end of the trail on February 17, 2024. Big Bob was a music teacher, principal, and superintendent at Solvang School in a career that spanned decades. He was a pillar of the community, loving husband, father, grandfather, and neighbor to many in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Bob started his journey in September of 1929 in Olympia Washington, son of Albert and Hazel Raleigh. Albert had the audacity to die two short years later, leaving Bob, his older brother Roger, and his mom Hazel to fend for themselves at the outset of the Great Depression. The family moved to Altadena, California where Bobby and Roger raised hell amongst the orange groves and clean air. Bob spoke fondly of his free range childhood, riding the Red Cars and his horse G.I. He was a proud member of the Tournament of Roses Bulldog band and marched in many Rose parades keeping the beat with the big bass drum.
Upon graduation from high school, Bob enrolled at Cal Poly Pomona as an agriculture major, with all of his Bulldog Band buddies. I think Bob was as surprised as anybody when Kim Il Sung invaded South Korea, and Bob’s Air Force reserve unit was activated. Bob was very proud of his duty with Special Services during the Korean War. He was shipped off to Valdosta Georgia, where he and his squadron successfully defended Moody Air Force Base from communist incursions, mainly by providing entertainment for the Officers Club in the evenings. Bob was in the band of course.
After he was honorably discharged from the Air Force, Bob returned to California and enrolled at UCSB, changing his major from Agriculture to Music. It was a tough choice, since Bob was a drummer. He had to learn to read music, play the piano, and all the other instruments that he would later teach to the impressionable youth of the Santa Ynez Valley.
While at UCSB, Bob indulged in his barely subdued pyromania and desire for cheap rent by being a volunteer fireman. Throughout his long life, his ears always pricked up when he heard the sirens pass by, and by the time his children were old enough to roll their eyes, he finally stopped jumping in the car to chase the fire engines.
He met his future bride, Ann, at UCSB when he saw her in the rear view mirror of his Plymouth and immediately pulled a U-turn, and made up some story to follow her into a pottery class. They were married in 1957 in the presence of a lot of people that they both outlived by a wide margin.
After a year of living next to the train tracks in Goleta, Bob landed a job as the roving music teacher for the Santa Ynez Valley, and moved there in 1958. He split his time between Solvang, Santa Ynez, and Vista Del Mar elementary schools, until a full time position opened up at Solvang Elementary.
Bob taught band to several generations of budding musicians, as well as the rest of us. He produced mini-musicals, had the kids march wearing Danish outfits and clogs in parades everywhere from The Elks Parade in Santa Maria to the Christmas parade through Solvang. He also directed productions of The Bells of Santa Ynez, the choir at the Presbyterian Church, and The Danish Days Singers. The whole family was amused when a letter addressed to “The Music Man, Solvang California” arrived in the mailbox back in 1967.
Besides inventing the “dad joke”, Bob was also a very innovative teacher. He was doing Project-Based Learning before it became an educational buzzword. He had hundreds of students engage in “Lifetime Projects” where the kids could write a paper on literally anything that struck their fancy. He taught students about our legal system by writing a crime story– a favorite was “Brinks over the Brink”– with his eighth-graders taking the leading roles, culminating in a trial in the actual Solvang Municipal court with his friends Royce Lewellen or Zel Cantor presiding.
Bob was an active member of the community in many other ways as well. He served as chairman of Danish Days and was president of the Solvang Businessman’s Association twice, back in the day before Solvang was an incorporated city and everybody knew each other. He was instrumental in getting the county to build the bike path between SYVUHS and Solvang, an impressive feat given how hard it has proved to get the county to complete the remaining section to Buellton. He remained active in the Vikings of Solvang for many, many, (many) years, and fumed when his cell phone rang during their meetings forcing him to buy a round of drinks.
Bob and Ann had the opportunity to travel the world extensively, touching all the continents except Antarctica at least once. He has driven everything from Volkswagens on the autobahn to camels in the Sahara. He particularly enjoyed driving his 1949 Farm-All Cub tractor around his home near Janin Acres. He and Ann were also enthusiastic dog owners, and several generations of German Shepherds, among other mutts, made themselves part of the family over the years.
For the last many years (decades?), Bob could be found nearly every weekday at 8:30 am down at Olsen’s Bakery for “Coffee with the Boys”. He outlived the first three iterations of “boys” but thoroughly enjoyed his time with the latest batch, Hans, John, Ron, Brian, Steve, Rick, and Ed. He was well-known for his charm, corny jokes, and ability to leave pastry crumbs on his shirt front.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ann, their two children Dan and Susy, and their four grandchildren (in order of appearance), Keenan, Piper, Domi, and Gracie.
If anyone wants to honor Bob with a donation, his choice would be either the Vikings Charities, PO Box 293, Solvang CA 93463, or the SYV Humane Society, PO Box 335, Buellton CA 93427.