Robert Lawrence Thorsen

Robert (Bob) Lawrence Thorsen, a Lab retiree and longtime Livermore resident, died Feb. 2 at his home after a long illness. He was 85.

After graduating from Fremont High School in Oakland in 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and became a pilot. After completing his military service he enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley where he received a degree in architecture. He began his 32-year career at the Lab in 1958, after briefly working at an architectural firm in Santa Rosa. He was a lifelong Bay Area resident and lived in Livermore for the past 51 years.

Thorsen was active in politics. He dedicated many long hours to the Livermore Planning Commission and Design Review Committee.

He enjoyed winter sports, tennis, camping and hiking, but most of all he cherished his vacations in the Lake Tahoe basin and Mendocino coast with family and friends. In retirement, he was a member of Sons in Retirement and he and his wife Anita were able to live out their dream of traveling to Europe with their close friends.

He is survived by his daughters, Laura Thorsen and Gayle Thorsen-McCune; son-in-law Terry McCune; sister-in-law Marie Thorsen and nephew James Thorsen. He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Gertrude Anita Thorsen, and brother, Walter Thorsen.

A memorial service was held Feb. 11 in Livermore.