Robert “Bob” Murnane

Robert “Bob” Joseph Murnane, 85, of Sebastopol, passed away peacefully with close family in attendance on August 6th, 2026.

Bob was born in 1941 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to parents Margaret Ruth Murnane & Eugene Robert Murnane. He was the eldest of four siblings.

When Bob was 2 years old, his family moved to California, to the San Francisco Bay Area. They moved around some and settled in Marin County, where Bob attended Saint Anselm’s School. At the age of 13, he went to boarding school at the Catholic seminary in Mountain View. He continued on in the seminary studying towards the priesthood through college. At some point during a family vacation in Lake Tahoe, Bob fell in love with Pamela Ongaro, the love of his life. They married in 1966, and they almost celebrated their 60th anniversary.

After the birth of their son Bobby and daughter Pammy, Bob earned his Master’s degree at the University of Chicago, then returned to California and worked as a social worker at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and at Kaiser Santa Rosa, for about 40 years combined.

Bob is survived by his wife Pamela, his children Bobby (and wife Suzan) and Pammy (and husband Charles), his grandchildren Forest, Hunter and Laurel, his sister Mary and sister-in-law Sandy, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers Patrick and Timothy.

Bob was kind to everyone he met and touched many lives with his thoughtful, caring manner—in his career, his family, and through his friendships, both new and lifelong. He had a large extended family and stayed in contact with many relatives in California and in Minnesota. He valued his lifelong friends and family above all else.

Bob loved travel, museums, music, nature, birdwatching, poetry and reading. He and his family enjoyed many summer vacations camping and hiking in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. For his 80th birthday, he hiked to the top of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. Bob enjoyed learning new things, from home improvement projects to experimenting with recipes after a favorite restaurant meal. He was an avid reader and always kept current on the news. Throughout his adult life, he was active and engaged in the community. After retirement, Bob and Pam volunteered at the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, promoting wildlife conservation and the love of nature in local schoolchildren.

Bob will be deeply missed by many. His Celebration of Life will be at 1 pm on Sunday, September 20, at the “Saturday Afternoon Club,” 430 10th St., Santa Rosa. All are welcome.