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Robert Burnley Egelston
died on May 9, 2016 after a lengthy illness. He was born during the
Depression, the youngest of three sons to Sally and Richard E.
Egelston in Kansas City, MO. A bright young man, Bob was appointed
to the U.S. Military Academy and entered on a hot July day in 1950.
He survived Beast Barracks and joined the Corps as a proud new
member of Company A-1. Bob was bright and graduated in the upper
half of the class without great effort. He had a nice singing voice
and took all of the Glee Club and Chapel Choir trips that were
offered. On several of these visits to the city, he made the
acquaintance of chorus and cast members of both “on-” and “off-”
Broadway shows.
Bob chose Field Artillery as his branch, and, after training, he
served his obligated tour and then resigned to pursue a graduate
degree in finance and business management at the Wharton School at
the University of Pennsylvania. Bob demonstrated that USMA’s math
and science heavy curriculum prepared the mind to analyze and make
decisions on matters beyond the military. Bob graduated first in his
class.
The Capital Group, a Los Angeles-based investment management firm,
offered Bob his first—and it turned out to be his only—employment in
financial management. He started at the bottom of the ladder and
some 40 years later retired as the chairman of board of a
multi-faceted organization with presence across the nation and the
globe. Assets under management had grown from a few hundred million
dollars to some $1.3 trillion.
During his career, Bob’s interests in the visual and performing
arts, as well as in education, became aspects of his life that he
was able to share with fellow employees of The Capital Group. He
first shared much of his own collection, displaying in offices, and
other common corporate areas works that he purchased. He led the
efforts to organize and fund the Capital Foundation, which became
the source of The Capital Group’s commitment to supporting the arts
and other community ventures. This collection has grown to include
thousands of pieces of art displayed in Capital offices worldwide.
He encouraged each of the employees to become involved in some
not-for-profit community organization’s effort.
Bob was chairman of the Los Angeles Music Center, and he played a
major role in the construction of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. He
also was longtime board member of both the Los Angeles Philharmonic
and the California Institute of the Arts. He was a dominant force in
the reconstruction of that campus after the 1994 earthquake in North
Ridge.
His interest in education led him to join the board of the Claremont
Graduate University and the board of the Art Center College of
Design. He was deeply involved for years at the Colburn School of
Los Angeles, where he was named an honorary life trustee.
Bob was an active member of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena,
CA. He served on the vestry for many years.
Retired and in failing health, Bob and his spouse, Veronica, moved
to Oklahoma City, OK to be close to family members.
He
is survived by his wife, Veronica; daughters, Diane and Janet; son,
Peter; stepson, Kelvin Williams; and grandchildren, Brooks and Aidan
Brorsen; and by Carson and Mary Alice Williams.
Diana concludes this tribute by reflecting, “He was a deep thinker
and very spiritual. As if channeling something from a trusted well
of wisdom. I listened to him very carefully because what he said was
filled with optimism and possibility.”
Be
Thou at Peace.
—
Len Reed |
