Robert Marquez

It is with sorrow and regret that we share the news of the recent passing of one of our own–our dear brother Robert Marquez–after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was at his family home in Orlando, Florida when it happened, surrounded by the love and care of those he cherished the most. A fighter until the very end, Rob endured multiple rounds of treatment and sought out every avenue for his healing before his body finally gave in. Even at his worst, his spirit never waivered. “I’m still in this fight,” he texted his friends and supporters just one week before his passing.

ROB AS PART OF THE WORKS IN PROGRESS, PROGRESS IN WORKS CREW (2007)

Rob first got involved with Bindlestiff during the Natoma Street years, attending shows and providing live music for several productions, notably Lorna Aquino Chui’s Movement: Roots, Rocks, Resistance (2006). He has been involved with the SOMA Filipino community as a volunteer since the early 2000s, and was a dedicated practitioner and teacher of the Combate Eskrima Oriental fighting system. He believed deeply in social justice causes, including housing rights, anti-displacement, healthcare reform, and civil rights. He served as the longtime Program Director for the San Francisco Mental Health Clients Rights Advocates (MHCRA), championing a more humane and empowered approach to serving people within the mental health system. Along with Phil Chavez, he was a regular musical fixture at community events, bringing their ukes along and spreading joy with them wherever they would go.

Known for his acerbic wit and caustic humor, he unflinchingly called out the truth as he saw it. This turned many people off, but to those who made the effort to hear him out and get to know him, he was a thoughtful, insightful, generous, and supportive friend. On occasion, he was funny as hell. A gifted storyteller, he had a vivid way of describing events that made you feel as if you could almost see it, as if you were there. He loved music, particularly the ‘70s and ‘80s American indie and pop rock that defined his generation. He loved films, TV, and art. He was an avid reader. He frequently patronized hole-in-the-wall eateries like Irma’s Pampagueña Cuisine and Them Ky. He was a recreational fisherman, a passion he inherited from his mother. He was in love with the Bay Area, his chosen home, but also its biggest critic. He was particularly fond of kids, and was a doting uncle, godfather, and community kuya.

The impact of his loss is felt deeply, but his memory and legacy live on in the lives of the many people he touched. Details of a community memorial will be announced at a later time. At the family’s request, those who feel inclined to give may make a donation in Rob’s honor to the Bayanihan Community Center in San Francisco.

illustration of Rob by Don Aguilo/Raf Salazar referencing 5M battle

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Please share your memories of Rob.

We are collecting photos and videos of Rob to be shared at his Orlando and San Francisco memorials. If you have something that you are willing to share, please email them to: chocolatethunder870@gmail.com.