We lost our best friend Bob Gravenor today

[John Coffey]

A true legend of our industry passed away today.

 

Bob had a special way of making us all feel like we were his best friend, because we all were. It didn't matter if your job was director or craft service, Bob made the set a joy for all. I spent some of the best times of my life with that man while playing poker and partying hard at his house.

 

I'm sure Bob is still laughing it up and would have wanted this thread to be a celebration of his life by his sound peers. He did not want a funeral, but many of us have tons of great stories about him. So please lay some good ink down here about some of your own Bob Gravenor stories and I'll pass it on as our remembrance gift to his son and daughter.

 

John Coffey, proud to have been one of Bob's many best friends.

[old school]

Bob was a celebration of life. He did it all his way from all I've heard and I seen. I wasn't close like many others were to Bob but I was always a big fan of the man. RIP Bob. See ya on the other side...

CrewC

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

I'm truly sad to hear the news of Bob's passing. I was in San Francisco for just one day, in April and texted him to try and get together. I did not get a reply and should have known that something was up. 

 

Bob had an amazing career and no matter what was going on in his crazy life, he was always there as a friend and mentor.

 

I first met Bob on Robert Altman's Quintet, in 1978, in Montreal. He was the kind of mixer that let you do your thing, but was always there to give you tips, ideas and a good motivational kick in the ass when needed. Bob was the Mixer and even though I was a mixer there locally - I really worked as his Boom Operator - essentially wiring the cast and making sure every thing on the shooting floor was running smoothly. Bob was warm and dry in a large construction trailer at least 300 feet away - with no video either, so I was really his eyes and sometimes his ears too.

 

That show was quite an adventure, a great learning experience and Bob and I became true friends. When I moved out to Los Angeles in '83, he was right there, offering help, motivation and his great sense of humor.

 

I'll never forget Bob and Jim Osburn as his Boom Op, working second unit for me on "Outbreak" up near Eureka, in Northern California, or him doing more second unit with me on "The Net" in San Francisco.

 

I've spent a lot of time at his last place on Beachwood, lots of parties, listening to music, shooting the breeze and hearing his many war stories.

 

Yes, Bob was a hard living guy, but his heart was always in the right place. I'll miss you Bob. Especially his random phone calls from where ever he was hanging out in the world.

 

God speed and rest in peace, my friend.

 

[Philip Perkins]

Post his Hollywood days Bob became one of the heavyweights of production sound for commercials--a lot of the biggest and most complex shoots done in those days.  I knew him during the brief time he spent living in the SF area after his Hollywood years--good for us, but I don't think he had a great time here.  But great stories...  RIP Bob G

 

philp

[Jeff Wexler]

This is terrible news. Bob was an important part of all of our lives for many, many years. When he left the country then fell ill, got better, but I still lost touch with him...  this is very sad.

[studiomprd]

I'm another one of the many recipients of the benefits of knowing Bob, and being one of his many friends.

[WhyOne]

Met Bob in his late '80s SF period, going through a bad divorce, broke, no gear, yet the fire and intensity of his attitude towards life was something to behold. He'd been mixing commercials with a little Mackie board and a DatMan, had a big gig coming up and wanted to know if he could rent my brand new, hot off Andy's bench, Cooper 106, for a day or two. He brought it back a week later, no check, big smile, and said, "Thanks, man, it worked great!"

 

Bob was THE hard-livin' mixer all us young wannabees aspired to be...

 

If at all possible, Bob, rest in peace.

[Scott Smith]

Aww man-this is sad news. I have to admit that I had somewhat lost touch with Bob over the past fews years (my fault, not his). Bob was the real deal, and not a guy who gave up easily. Always had great stories, and did his best to enjoy life despite the circumstances handed to him. My regards to his son and daughter.

 

Thanks for passing this along John.

 

--S

[John Coffey]

I talked for awhile with his son Misha last night and as you would expect, it was emotional. In the end Bob was with his son and daughter, as it should be. It was lung cancer that took him and he knew it was terminal for a long time. Before that, Bob had a liver transplant. Both probably represent the life this fun-loving Irishman led. He moved away a few years ago to live in several European countries before returning to die in the city he loved most, San Francisco.

 

Bob was one of the early multi-tracking pioneer sound mixers from the Altman days. He was also very involved in R&D with Glen Sanders Zaxcom products. He was on his way to a big film career, but then hooked up with a top commercial director named Leslie Dektor and it was a match made in heaven. That's because Leslie was the guy who shot the most international location heavy commercials to the most exotic locales. For instance, there was a longs series of American Express commercials that shot for years in places like the south of France and the Greek islands. They took care of Bob and he traveled in first class style everywhere with him. They took Bob early during the prep weeks just because they liked him, so it was always like Bob was on the paid vacation.of a lifetime, especially for a "sometimes" single guy who enjoyed the finer side.

 

Bob always gave back to our audio community, including stints as a Board of Director of Local 695 and was the one who made the 695 directory happen. At that time (before web site was a gleem in union's eye) Bob always said he wanted that directory to be part of his legacy...well Bob, it is now.

 

Bob was also a board of director for the CAS. I'll never forget one time we were at a CAS board meeting years ago and our treasury was in the negative column and we had to pay bills that were due to keep afloat. Bob suddenly reaches in his pocket and throws $300 down on the table and said if we all tossed something in, we could then hang on until all the dues came in. So he made us all pony up out of our own pockets and the CAS prospered later and went on to be the great organization it is today. We owe Bob our gratitude for that thankless gesture, but more importantly, it shows who he was.

 

I couldn't sleep last night because I kept having flashbacks to one Bob encounter story after another. I'll mention some of them next time.

 

Bob always called me Johnnie, which only my Mother and Father did. He was like a father to me too, but I bet there are fifty others who could say the same thing.

 

John Coffey

[charlesrudnick]

I knew Bob early in his career at KQED-TV.  We were hired along with a batch of "filmmakers" to work on Newsroom and The San Francisco Mix.  Even in those day Bob was a man of passion and mystery.  Tied together by cord that carried a sync tone from camera to deck I got to know Bob.  After Bob moved to LA we kept in touch.  His career was fodder for his great stories...many I can't repeat in polite company.  When in LA I would lean on Bob for crews, company and, if I was there on poker night, good whiskey.

 

When Bob expatriated to Europe I lost contact with him.  I'd only hear occasional rumors some good and some not.

 

In 2010 I helped him return from Europe.  He had received a liver transplant in Spain, moved to Italy and kind of hit the wall.

 

He was working on scripts and planning the next chapter of his life.  Bob met Sherri and wonderful woman who shared his passion for music, good wine and life.  Just as all was working for Bob he was diagnosed with cancer.  He valiantly fought the disease going through 2 rounds of chemo.  Last week he went on hospice care.  He was able to connect through Skype with his wonderful daughter Natalie and his son Misha flew up from LA to be by his side,  Bob died peacefully yesterday May 23rd at UCSF Medical Center.  

 

Bob wanted no fuss to be made.  He willed his body to research...I am truly curious what they are going to find.

 

Bob loved his work and his friends and will be missed and remembered.

 

Charles Rudnick

[Andy Wiskes]

The world is a little less today, as another spirit has left us.  A true mixer in the best sense of the word (including what was mixed at parties).  He left his influence on a number of people, helped out many more, and was one of kind.  He will be missed.  AW

[dfisk]

Wow. Just Wow. I didn't know Bob well, just from my Coffey Sound days, but I loved the guy. When he came through the door the place always brightened up. He was so awesome to talk with, and I learned a lot from him. This is definitely sad news. 

[GEDowling]

I met Bob in his SanFrancisco  phase when he was living in North Beach. We were doing the location shoots for "Murder She Wrote ".

It was a great intro to working with him. The AD was our guy , always trying to get the dialog done in the begining hours of what was mostly night shoots. That left the most important part of the location logistics, where we were going for dinner,as Bob seemed to have a favorite restaurant in every neihborhood.

I worked on a number of the Leslie Dector spots as well. Bob was in his element, relaxed ,philosophical...the elder statesman,listened to by the director, but always with sense of what he needed and when to make a stand.

I'm sorry I lost touch, especially when he was so close at the end. Take note, let those people who made a difference in your life know, while you can share the thought with them. I'm glad I knew you Bob.

[joyce]

• sad news,but he will live in our mind