Robert Nobuo Oto's Obituary
Robert (Bob) Nobuo Oto, 89, of Piedmont, California, passed away on September 9, 2019. Born in Walnut Grove, California on December 14, 1929, to Misuye and Isamu Oto, Bob was the youngest of six sons, growing up on a farm learning the value of hard work.
His family was relocated to the Gila River Internment Camp, Arizona when Bob was 13 years old. After the returning to Tyler Island, Bob graduated from Courtland High School in 1948. He put himself through San Francisco State University earning a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in June 1952. He married Edith Doi on March 8, 1952 and soon after was drafted into the Army. Bob served during the Korean War and after 18 months in Korea returned to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1954 where he and Edith settled in starting their family.
Bob had a rich 65 year career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) starting with U.S. Markets, Inc. a super-market chain and EMCO Distributors, a wholesale service merchandiser. He went on to start his own CPA firm in 1969, Hirose and Oto, Inc. Bob celebrated his firm’s 50th anniversary in September, continued to work full time and never considered retiring. Bob forged numerous close relationships with many clients, had a wide friendship network, socializing frequently through dining and excursions. He loved the San Francisco 49ers, watching bloody Samurai action movies, and vacationing with family and business associates at Holiday Farms in Rainbow, Oregon, where he played golf and “gentlemen’s fishing”.
Bob Oto’s life was marked by a series of ‘firsts’: the first Asian-Japanese American admitted into Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland, CA in 1981 and the first non-white member of the Oakland Athenian Nile Club, later becoming it’s president.
Bob was affectionately known as ‘Uncle Nobby’ to his many nieces and nephews. He was looked up to, had an infectious sense of humor and presence about him. He hosted fun family celebrations and as the longest living Oto brother, provided a sense of stability to the family.
Bob was a deeply committed family man, and was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Edith; and his five brothers, Hideo, Sumio ‘Butch’, Isao, Earl ‘Kug’, and Tosh Oto.
He is survived by his children, daughter Beverly Oto-Raymond (Cass Raymond), Gerald Oto (Susanna Oto), Jeffrey Oto, and four granddaughters Chloe Raymond, Emma, Lily, and Leah Oto.
Memorial service arrangements will be held at 1pm, Friday, October 4, 2019, at Sequoyah Country Club.
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