Robert Lee Washington's Obituary
Robert Lee Washington was born to Leroy and Helen May Washington on August 16, 1946 in Hilly Louisiana. The Washington Family moved to Marin City, California when Robert was four years old. Robert was the oldest of four siblings. Robert’s family was part of migration of many black families from the South who came to California to find a better life. Many of those families settled in Marin City which created a wonderful sense of community and extended family. The community gave him a great foundation for the man he became. He went to elementary and secondary school locally and graduated from Tamalpais High School in 1964.
He was fondly given the nickname DC when he was in elementary school which stayed with him all his life. Robert excelled in almost all sports in high school, but especially football. He went on to play football at Marin Junior College. Later in his life he was inducted in the Marin County Athletic Hall of Fame by the Marin County Athletic Foundation. He was humbled and honored to be included with those he respected and looked up to as great athletes and mentors. He gave up college football but it didn’t stop him from being athletic. Throughout his life he dabbled in wrestling, tennis, skiing, basketball and golf, to name a few. He loved golf and his goal was to have a better golf score than his father-in-law, who introduced him to the game.
Robert transferred to San Francisco State University and received both a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master’s Degree in Educational Counseling in 1975. He went on to become licensed as a Marriage, Family and Child Counselor. While attending San Francisco State University he met Joyce Yvonne Banks in 1971. Robert and Joyce married in 1977. They were blessed with two children, Miles Robert born in 1979 and Paige Elizabeth born in 1982. The family moved from San Francisco to Oakland in 1980. His children brought him much joy and soccer tournaments, sleepovers, piano lessons, birthday parties, proms, dances, graduations, field trips, camping, family reunions, Disneyland, Disneyworld, New Orleans, Mexico vacations and Yosemite. The house was loud and full of laughter and a few tears. He loved every minute of it. His son Miles, passed in 2010.
Robert’s life work was centered around his passion for social justice and social welfare of others. His strong parental upbringing, sense of community responsibility and his educational background was a perfect foundation for what he went on to accomplish. A few of his affiliations, employment and activities included: marched to support better working conditions for sanitation workers in the South, tutored underachieving children at SFSU, participated as an active member in the Black Student Union at SFSU in the late 1960’s and was arrested at one of the protests, counseled people with addiction issues, participated in Black Panther Party programs, distributed food to those needing assistance through the Patty Hearst Food Give Away Program, directed the STEP-Up Program for minority students at SFSU, counseled families and at risk children at Youth Advocates, managed cases with frail and elderly seniors to allow them to stay in their home at the City of Oakland’s Department of Aging and acted as the Deputy Director for the City of Oakland’s Department on Aging. Robert would not accept a job that had a mission or goals different than his. Robert retired in 2001 from the City of Oakland. Robert transitioned on April 2, 2021. He leaves behind many loving and happy memories with daughter Paige Washington of Oakland, California, brother Jessie Washington of Marin City, California, Billy Washington (Cheryl) of Vallejo, California, sister Samantha Washington Andrada (Pete) of Novato, California, and two grandsons Jaiden and Chaise Washington (Miles Washington) of Berkeley, California. His extended family included many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, sister in laws, brothers in law, many cousins and an abundance of loving friends (old and new).
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