ROBERT MICHAEL KOZAK

Robert was born on October 12, 1937 in Newark, New Jersey. Second child to John D Kozak and Josephine Mikulaus. They had 3 children, Jack, Robert, and Maryanne. He had a desire to leave home and be on his own so once he finished high school, he joined the Navy and traveled the globe seeing many countries. His most important stop would be San Francisco, where he would meet the future love of his life, Jackie. Stationed in Southern California, he would make the drive to San Francisco every weekend to see her. They were married on November 16, 1958 and moved back to the East Coast to be near his family. After living on the East Coast for about 6 years, they decided to move back to California to be near Jackie's family in her hometown of San Francisco, CA. They wanted to start a family, but could not have children of their own so they decided to explore adoption and adopted their only son John in 1967. They relocated from San Francisco to nearby Millbrae, then eventually settling in the East Bay in Castro Valley in 1970 where they purchased their first home on NIchandros St., their second home on Brittany Court and their third home on Jamison Way where they lived for ov...[more]

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30 years. Bob held many jobs over the years, a gas station attendant, a driver for United Parcel Service, but his primary career was at the Arden/Berkeley Farms plant in Emeryville, California where he drove tanker trucks to collect milk from the dairies. He became their number 1 mileage driver, held a class A license and was skilled enough to backup trailers onto flatcars of trains. Driving was a major part of his identity. He always liked to stay busy, never idle. In his retirement years, he worked for Durham Bus Company driving a school bus for children with disabilities, then worked for the Alameda County Sheriff/Child Protective Services as a driver shuttling children back-and-forth to court ordered situations. His final job was in the Castro Village shopping center, helping the morning operations at Big Apple Bagel. During his time working for Alameda County, he encountered two young teenage sisters from El Salvador that were in need of some guidance, so Bob and Jackie fostered them for many years. They are now adults with their own families that have been forever impacted by the kindness and generosity of Bob andJackie. He had a passion for automobiles and liked to tinker with cars, buying fixer uppers and reselling them. He also had a natural talent for illustration and painting and could reproduce small drawings on a large scale. Once officially retired, Bob and Jackie decided to relocate to Los Banos, California where they have enjoyed a quieter pace of life for nearly 20 years. Bob just couldn't stay still, so he flipped houses for a couple of years just to keep busy before finally deciding to relax. Even though he was great in social settings, he was a more private person, especially in his later years. He really enjoyed everyday life with Jackie by his side in their own little world at their home in Los Banos with their cat. He was a very proud Veteran and continued to be an active member of the VA throughout his life. He is survived by his wife Jackie, his son John and his beloved cat Missy. We will always remember the love and kindness you gave the world and made life the best it could be for your family. Rest in peace, with love from Jackie, John & family.