Robert Leonard Traughber

Born in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1926, Robert Leonard Traughber, following five years’ U.S. Navy service as a submarine radio operator, was educated at Louisiana State and Stanford universities where he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics.

Bob began his teaching career at San Marcos High School and, in 1964, transferred to Santa Barbara City College where he was a widely respected professor, teaching algebra and calculus courses. After twenty-two years, Bob retired from the college in order to take care of his elderly parents. Always the mathematician, he designed and helped build a cedar house north of Paso Robles. For years, he lovingly fed dozens of deer, wild turkeys and feral cats who appeared daily at his doorstep. Bob passed peacefully in his rural home on October 4, 2018.

Bob Traughber was a quality friend and colleague. He will be remembered for his dedicated teaching, clear intellect and his willingness to help students, often far beyond expectations. He will be missed for his entertaining stories, his sense of grace and for a manner not easily awed by the pretensions of others. He could spot a phony a mile away. He loved the Sierras, where he spent time each summer for over forty years with a few colleagues, hiking and fishing, but mostly gabbing. Generous at his best, stubborn at his worst, Bob made his corner of the world better for having been there.

With gratitude to neighbors Ron and Susan Fisher for their dedicated care of Bob for several years.