In Memoriam

Robert Remes
January 30, 1953 –December 31, 2012

Shortly after the New Year, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend, CAPE member and delegate, Robert Remes.

Bob worked as an Appraiser for the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office for 23 years, spending most of that time in the Assessor’s South District Office in Signal Hill before moving to the Appraisal Standards Section downtown, where he worked from 2008 to 2012. According to his colleagues at the Assessor’s Office, Bob was a reliable and dedicated employee who strove to give his best in every aspect of his job. Yup, that was Bob.

In our experience, Bob’s dedication to his job was matched by his devotion to those he worked with. Bob believed in unions, and that the best path to fair treatment in L.A. County is by collective action. Through his constant involvement in CAPE over the years, Bob helped in numerous ways to make his union stronger and improve the careers of his fellow County professional employees.

Bob served on several CAPE negotiating teams, where he advocated for fair and professional treatment by management and worked with his CAPE colleagues to achieve better wages and working conditions for CAPE-represented employees.

A self-described political junkie, Bob served on the CAPE Political Endorsement Committee and volunteered in several political campaigns for which CAPE members had an interest, including the election of County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in 2008 and, more recently, our defeat of Proposition 32 in 2012.

Bob also played a major role in 2009 in helping to achieve agency shop/fair share status for the Appraiser and Supervisory Appraiser CAPE bargaining units. Those victories helped ensure a stronger CAPE for years to come, and will remain part of Bob’s legacy of service and commitment to his colleagues.

Bob Remes’ friend and Supervisor at work, another long-time CAPE member, Brent Decker, had the following to say about Bob:

“Bob was big-hearted and compassionate. Despite the growing burden of his health issues in recent times, he strove diligently to carry his share of the load. For those of us fortunate to know him, he will forever be remembered for his clever insights, dry wit, and eagerness to befriend others.” Y

up, that was Bob. He will be dearly missed.