Robert L. Andresen

A resident of La Cañada Flintridge for 45 years, Robert Andresen died on April 16, 2005 in Pasadena.

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth; daughter Elise Hildreth of Indiana; stepchildren Dr. Dale Jones of San Luis Obispo, Dr. Joyce Millikan of Pasadena, and Wendy Allestad of Altadena; along with eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Harold Andresen of Lafayette, and four nieces and nephews.

Andresen, 88, was born in San Francisco in 1916. He attended public schools and Lick High School in San Francisco, after which he went to University of California, Berkeley, where he obtained a degree in mechanical engineering in 1940 and was elected to Tau Beta Pi, a national engineering honor society.

During World War II he worked in Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, New Jersey, and shipyards in Richmond, California and Providence, Rhode Island, building ships for the United States Merchant Marine and Navy. Immediately after the war he spent a year on Guam as a civilian engineer for the U.S. Navy.

His career started when he accepted employment with C. C. Moore & Co. Engineers of San Francisco, which specialized in designing and building steam power plants for industry and the electric utilities on the West Coast. Various assignments led him into sales engineering. He spent seven years running the firm’s Phoenix office and was then transferred to Los Angeles about the time the firm was acquired by Babcock & Wilcox Co., a major international firm in the same business. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed manager of the district, with duties encompassing much of the Southwestern U.S. He stayed with Babcock & Wilcox until his retirement in 1981.

During his career he was chairman of the Arizona section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a director for C. C. Moore & Co., and a director of the Pacific Coast Electrical Association, an industrywide organization. He served as president of the U.C. Berkeley Engineering Alumni for Southern California and became a life member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Andresen was very active in U.C. Berkeley alumni work, serving on fund drives for many years for the College of Engineering and being chairman for Southern California. He was elected to the honorary Benjamin Ide Wheeler Society for his contributions to the university. With his wife Elizabeth, he also became a member of the Associates of Caltech and University of Southern California.

For many years he was a member of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles and the Jonathan Club where he served as a member and chairman of the Wise Owls Committee. He and Elizabeth regularly attended La Cañada Presbyterian Church. Bob was a member of “Family Fork,” a group of La Cañada men who met monthly for an informal breakfast, and had an annual weekend away joined by their wives.

After retirement, Andresen and his wife enjoyed doing volunteer work, gardening and traveling, which took them to many parts of the world. They also entertained numerous people each summer at Kaweah Han, their family lodge in Sequoia National Park, where Bob’s engineering background helped in maintaining equipment and facilities at the remote property. Bob and Elizabeth both became active in La Cañada Valley Beautiful and served as directors. Bob served two years as its president. Bob and Elizabeth both also received the Les Tupper Award for service to the community.

“As my step-dad, I admired Bob Andresen for the many hobbies he enjoyed. He enjoyed working in his garden, growing tomatoes, Bababerries, plums, persimmons, roses, oranges, and apricots,” said his daughter, Joyce Millikan. “We, Bob’s (step) kids, enjoyed the overflow of his work in the garden, which was abundant. Bob was a wonderful grandpa to his grandsons and daughters.

“Together, Liz and Bob lived out their belief that everyone can contribute to the welfare of our world. They demonstrated that by clearing the road and walkways of aluminum cans as they walked together each morning in the La Cañada neighborhood, making the neighborhood better for everyone. In the summertime, they would always remove sticks and stones from the trails that surrounded our family cabin in the mountains, making the way easier for others.

“Bob enjoyed woodworking, projecting around his home, and enjoyed his grandchildren. His warm smile and sense of humor will be missed by me and by many others as well.”

Memorial services will be held at the La Cañada Presbyterian Church on Friday, April 22, at 3 p.m. A reception will follow. Bob’s ashes will be scattered at sea in accordance with his wishes. Donations in honor of Robert Andresen can be sent to the Salvation Army, Descanso Gardens Guild, or the Crescenta-Cañada Y.M.C.A.