SHC Mourns the Loss of Bob Marshal ’52

Great friend and former San Bruno mayor Bob Marshall ’52 passed away on Tuesday, May 8. Sacred Heart Cathedral asks members of the community to keep the Marshall family in your prayers during this difficult time. Bob Marshall’s impact on his home town cannot be overstated. San Bruno was a different place when Bob Marshall hung out his shingle on September 30, 1959. On that day, new real estate agent Marshall sold his first property – for the staggering sum of $7,000. Yes, times have changed. In 1959, the fervor was still fresh over the attempted annexing of what was to become in 1957 Pacifica. The San Bruno Bob Marshall chose to work and live in could have stretched all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Fifty years ago, San Bruno was at the tail end of a period of growth that would see its population increase 600% over a period of 25 years. Fifty years ago, San Bruno was a fine place for a young man to go into business for himself. That’s what Bob Marshall did. He started with a few guiding principles in mind; from the beginning, Marshall would run his business according to a mantra of “professionalism, integrity and superior service.” Fifty years later he operates according to those foundation ethos. Marshall’s impact on his adopted hometown cannot be overstated. This is no fly-by-night businessman. Once Marshall Realty’s doors opened, its founder dug in his heels for a lifetime stay. The number of boards and committees Marshall has served on is staggering. He has been President of the San Bruno Lion’s Club (and a former district governor for Lion’s District 4-C4), a lifetime member of the San Bruno Chamber of Commerce, a founding member of the Peninsula Bank of Commerce, and the former President of the North Country Board of Realtors. If that wasn’t enough, Marshall actually served as Mayor of San Bruno for twelve years and some of his employees have served on the San Bruno City Council. It would not be an overstatement to call Marshall “Mr. San Bruno, if he were the kind of guy who liked that sort of thing.” So what kind of a guy is Bob Marshall? He’s a guy who values loyalty; every one of his employees has been with Marshall Realty for over a decade. Several have been with him for 30 plus years, and that’s not counting three of his children, Bob, Jr., Stephan, and Anne, who have also devoted their professional lives to Marshall Realty. Bob is not for formal affairs. Witness the recent 50-year celebration the company held – where else? – in downtown San Bruno. Instead of the black tie affair some might have anticipated, Marshall Realty rolled out their own miniature county fair, with pony rides, barbecue and local entertainment. Marshall is a man who values family and community. In his eye, the two are forever intermingled. Maybe that’s why he says, of his work environment, “It’s not just that my sons and daughter work here; the staff is family, too.” Even his wife of 52 years, Paula, gets involved. While not officially a member of Marshall Realty, she is “the backbone of the business,” according to Marshall. Fifty years ago, Bob Marshall started a business in an optimistic boomtown. Five decades later, it’s difficult to separate the man from the business and the business from the town. Both San Bruno and Bob Marshall would probably have done fine without each other, but both are that much richer for having met early and stayed together.