Obituary of Bob Broze

Robert Ulrich Broze passed away on March 19, 2024, after leading a rich and fulfilling life as an engineer, inventor, and loving husband, father, and grandfather. “Bob,” known as “Opa” to his grandchildren, was born in Berkeley, CA on January 7, 1936, to Irwin Anthony Broze and Lenore Amalia (Ulrich) Broze, whose family hailed from Kansas. He attended Oakland Technical High School and graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 1960 with a degree in electrical engineering. As a young adult, he spent his summers in the mountains working for the McCloud River lumber company, but his ensuing professional life spanned many years in the semiconductor industry. He held positions at Fairchild Research, Applied Materials, Actel Corporation, and Infineon Technologies. During his successful career, which involved international collaborations and senior leadership roles, he helped to develop flash memory technology and nurtured scientists whom he cared for deeply. Bob met his wife, Gisela Lentjes from Ulm, Germany, while she was touring the United States. The two wed in 1967 and had two daughters, Lisa (David) and Sonja (Michael). Bob and Gisela enjoyed travel to Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. He cherished time with family, which came to include two grandchildren, Cole and Thea. After his retirement in 2006, he continued to indulge his hobbies, which included maintenance of antique player pianos, clocks and classic cars, as well as model trains which became a staple at family Christmas celebrations. He also enjoyed being a member of the Santa Cruz Kiwanis club. His thirst for life was unquenchable. Bob will be lovingly remembered by his surviving family as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, endlessly curious and capable of fixing almost anything. A Memorial Service for Bob will be held at Oakwood Memorial Park Chapel, 3301 Paul Sweet Rd. at 12 noon Wednesday, May 22 followed by a reception at the Elks Lodge, 150 Jewel St., Santa Cruz. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Bob’s memory to the charity of your choice.