You are a force of nature in public health—insightful, deeply committed, and always ready with a quip that reminded us not to take ourselves too seriously, even when tackling the most serious of issues. His wisdom and wit are as legendary as his dedication, and nowhere is this more evident than in his love (or, rather, his absolute overuse) of notepads.

 

Thankfully, old-school – longhand writing – with handwriting so precise and elegant that it could have been a font. Unlike mine. But Bob has a unique approach to note-taking—by the end of a full day of meetings, he’s used upwards of ten different notepads, each with only a few pages filled in. And when it came time for us to check in? Well, that’s when the real fun began: the two of us piecing together his notes like detectives trying to solve a case—half an hour of shuffling through pages, laughing, reminiscing, and talking about absolutely everything except the TB program.

 

Those were the best daily check-ins EVER! I miss those moments. I miss his Omar Sharif smile and the way he made even the most frustrating days feel lighter. And I’ll never forget my last day at Alameda, when Bob—after years of our notepad assembly meetings—presented me with a leather-bound notepad holder. With that grin, declaring, “I get it now—use one notepad throughout the day.” A classic Bob moment—self-aware, endearing, and hilarious.

 

Bob, thank you for being our rock, for leading with integrity, and for always reminding us that while public health is serious work, it should never be devoid of joy. You taught me what it means to be all in for public health—to do things right and, more importantly, to do the right thing. I will always be grateful.

Subroto Banerji, MPH

Manager of Community Health Operations and Strategic Initiatives

Presbyterian Healthcare Services – Community Health