Spring 2003 • Issue 9, page 11

A Tribute to Robert Chauncey Warren II

By Rense, Kirk*

Virtually every receiver, receiver’s counsel and state and federal judge in Southern California knew and respected the late Robert Chauncey “Bob” Warren II, a prominent member of the receivership community for more than 20 years. Mr. Warren passed away on February 24, 2003 just shy of his 74th birth- day. Rob Warren, Mr. Warren’s son and busi- ness partner, provided the California Receivership News with this personal commen- tary on his late father’s life and career.

Many of us know Bob Warren from working with him as a receiver and property manager over the last twenty years. But there is a great deal more about my father that people ought to know. Robert C. (Bob) Warren II was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1929. He grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and Jackson, Mississippi, and attended Rice University, graduating in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in English. While there he met his wife-to-be, Barbara, who was also a student at Rice.

They married in Alexandria, Virginia in 1953 – after Bob had joined the Army and completed Officer Candidate School. After a tour in Korea with the Army Corps of Engineers (Bob had put “Eng” for his degree on his application), Bob and Barbara lived for a time in Texas, Mississippi and Missouri, as Bob worked in national radio and in local television as a newscaster. He loved the news and he loved broadcasting, but it took time away from his family. He
and his family later lived for a time in Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa, as Bob moved from newscasting to public relations work to property management. His travels finally took him and his family to California in 1975, when Bob took a job as general property manager for the Irvine Company. He subsequently opened his own business, Investors’ Property Services, in 1980.

Bob was the proud father of two sons, Kyle and me, and was the proud grandfather of three girls, Sally Jean, Robyn and Rachel. He was a man of many loves and many dreams. He never stopped dreaming about new things and new ideas. He was passion- ate about his family, about seeing the beauty of the desert mountains, and about the open sky. He completed his lifelong dream of obtaining his private pilot’s license a few years ago at the age of seventy. Bob was an eternal optimist and a vibrant encourager. He loved life, and he looked forward to the surprises of each day and to the warmth of his relationships with his friends and coworkers. He never lost the same passion for living that had been with him since his youth. He was special, and he will be greatly missed.