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Robert Zeien, musician and baseball maven, dies at 53

Original post made on Mar 25, 2018

A Menlo Park resident and the husband of former mayor Kelly Fergusson, Robert Charles Zeien played the guitar in a bluegrass band and wrote briefly but regularly about high school baseball games in a local weekly publication.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 12:00 AM

Comments (5)

Posted by Neighbor
a resident of Menlo Park: The Willows
on Mar 25, 2018 at 11:46 am

Robert will be dearly missed. His good humor and care for his family and friends provided an anchor that helped us remember what's most important. I will miss his music, his soft voice, and his sparkling eyes under a brimmed hat. Our love to Kelly, Grace, Elliot and all of Robert's extended family.


Posted by Laure
a resident of Menlo Park: The Willows
on Mar 25, 2018 at 3:24 pm

What a wonderful man. He enjoyed the peace of his garden and grew the most cherry tomatoes and zucchinis on this side of Oak. The boys just shared a memory about him: they would go over to eat toast and watch movies. Robert had them take turns with Grace to choose. When it was her turn he would say - will the boys like it? And when it was their turn to choose he would say - will Grace like it?:)


Posted by Paul Chua
a resident of Menlo Park: The Willows
on Mar 27, 2018 at 11:22 am

Robert was one of those guys that you immediately know just a 'good person.' I had the blessing to be his neighbor for almost ten years, and I feel privileged to have known him and am a better person for having him part of my life. He had a genuine smile that was warm and a humble and gentle spirit that always made you feel at ease.

Whether he was rocking out with his considerable musical talent, or just hanging out enjoying a beer - Robert was a cool cat that you always loved to hang around. His devotion to his kids was self-evident, and he was a very supportive dad with various sporting activities.

His passing incredibly saddens me, and I know in my heart, Robert is remembered with the fondest of memories.

Sincerely,
-Paul


Posted by Stacey Kanihan
a resident of Menlo Park: The Willows
on Apr 11, 2018 at 8:16 am

I met Robert when I was a graduate student at Stanford, and Kelly was in several of my classes. I saw the Grateful Dead patch on her backpack, and I said, “I like your patch.” It wasn’t long before we were good friends, and that meant good friends with both Kelly and Robert, because they were a team. We had dinner together, went to concerts, and just hung out and had fun. Robert had a way of making everyone feel comfortable and special in his presence. His loyalty was quiet but fierce: he was so kind to me when I would have “boyfriend troubles,” like the best brother you would ever want to have. When he smiled, you just knew everything would be ok. I remember he kept his guitar on a stand in the living room, and I had never seen that before. I asked him about it, and he said that if you keep your guitar in a case, you never play it. So I went out and got a stand for my guitar. I now see that philosophy was woven into Robert’s life. Robert kept his treasures out - he lived life and embraced them every day. His family. His friends. His music. His laughter. His hospitality. His thoughtfulness. Robert we will miss you. You will always be in our hearts.


Posted by Elizabeth Houck
a resident of Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park
on Apr 18, 2018 at 3:37 pm

Kelly, Grace and Elliot, I'm so sorry to hear of Robert's death. Sucks, no two ways about it. My sincerest condolences.


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