OBITUARY

Robert Unvert was a director and producer for ESPN’s “Extreme Sports,”

a varsity football star at Newport Harbor High School and an avid golfer

through his last weeks.

But his friend Mike Keyes remembers how Mr. Unvert never cared about

winning or losing.

“He used to always have a term he’d say: ‘We’re not here for a long

time, just a good time,”’ Keyes, a friend of 25 years, said.

Mr. Unvert died Friday of heart failure as he was boarding a plane in

Ottawa, Canada. The Huntington Beach resident was on his way to Santa

Monica for his next video shoot. He was 45.

“He was quite a colorful character here in Newport Beach,” said his

mother, Jan Landstrom.

Mr. Unvert grew up in Newport Beach and attended Woodland Elementary

and Kaiser Junior High School. He graduated from Newport Harbor in 1974

and considered his football days back then the heyday of his sports

glories, his mother said.

Loved ones agree that he was one of those people who treated people

well, as if they were each special.

“Everyone who met him thought they were his best friend,” Landstrom

said.

Keyes, who says he was Mr. Unvert’s best friend, admits that there are

probably “50 guys running around town” thinking the same thing. He had a

smile and sense of humor that lighted up the room.

“I nicknamed him ‘Shiny,”’ Keyes said. “Not because of his lack of

hair, but when Bob Unvert entered a room, he glowed. He brought out the

best and entertained just about everyone he met.”

As the owner of Oceanwatch Productions in Newport Beach, Mr. Unvert

traveled around the world shooting on location for “Extreme Sports”

episodes. He often did charity video work for the Salvation Army of

Orange County, as well as the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

“We have people coming in from all over the world” for the memorial,

Landstrom said. “He was exuberant, happy and made everybody happy who was

around him.”

Mr. Unvert is survived by his wife, Tamara Unvert; parents Jan and

John Landstrom, and Dr. Allen and Cathi Unvert; brother Tom Unvert; and

sister Suzanne Lyons.

A memorial will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at St. Andrew’s

Presbyterian Church, 600 St. Andrews Road, Newport Beach. The burial will

be at sea and, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be

sent to the Salvation Army of Orange County, 10200 Pioneer Road, Tustin,

CA 92782, or the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739,

Avalon, CA 90704.