Robert Krause
July 31, 1948-April 2, 2025
Menlo Park, California

Robert Leslie “Bob” Krause, Jr. was born in Columbus, Ohio on July 31, 1948 to Eileen and Robert Sr. Bob spent the majority of his early years in Kettering, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, with his parents and three sisters Sue Ellen, Linda, and Debra.

Bob was an alumni of the University of Dayton, where he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Technology specializing in Electrical Engineering. He subsidised his education by enrolling in the Army ROTC program. Upon graduation in 1968, he began his military duty during the Vietnam War. After achieving the rank of Second Lieutenant, Bob was placed in charge of the IT lab at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

When discharged, Bob was hired by Hewlett-Packard, bringing him to California where he would spend the remainder of his career. He would go on to work for some of the largest semiconductor firms in Silicon Valley, including Siemens, Infineon, Vishay, and Fairchild as an Engineer and Applications Manager. Bob's work in the field of optoelectronics led him to obtaining several patents, being published in technology journals, contributing to a book, and traveling the world.

Bob bought his home in West Menlo Park in 1984, where he would raise his family and hold deep roots in the community. Many will remember Bob as the Scout Master of their Boy Scout troop, holding the position for Troop 222, Den 10 throughout the 1990's and early 2000's. His children attended school at Las Lomitas, La Entrada, and Menlo-Atherton. A devout Catholic, Bob attended service at St. Denis Parish in Sharon Heights every Sunday, where he served as a lector, acolyte, and volunteer.

Ever the perpetual tinkerer, Bob would often be found in his garage working on his next project, and could always be counted on by his neighbors if they needed to borrow a tool (he most certainly had it). Bob began rebuilding vintage cars as a young man; a hobby that continued into adulthood, working on old Chevrolet trucks to Sunbeams to Porsches and everything in between. Woodworking was a speciality of Bob's, building numerous pieces of functional wooden furniture that are still used by his family today. After retiring in 2015, Bob developed an interest in short-wave HAM radio, and was training for his license.

In 2022, Bob was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue, and underwent radiation and chemotherapy the following year. While the treatment was successful, the physical toll on Bob’s body resulted in additional health complications that prolonged his recovery. After a multi-year battle, Bob passed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 2nd 2025 at Stanford Hospital. He is survived by his wife Carol, his three children Meghan, Stephen and Theresa, and his many family members and friends across the country.

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