Robert Gómez, who wrapped us in love and laughter, left this world on November 21, 2021. He was doing his morning meditation and drinking ginger-green tea at home in Healdsburg. His meditation practice of fifty-years transformed him into the gentlest of souls.
As we reflect on our time together, we are grateful for everything he has given us: fierceness in the face of social and racial injustice, passion and absolute dedication to pursue our impossible dreams, acerbic wit, and gentleness and generosity in love.
Robert was born in the South Bronx on August 23, 1945 to Isabel Sánchez and Isidro Gómez y Gómez. Isabel immigrated to New York from San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba in 1930 with her anarchist godparents. Robert’s father, Isidro, arrived in New York from Santa Clara, Cuba as an undocumented immigrant in 1926. Over the course of fifteen years, he made his life in the States, married, and opened a Cuban cigar factory before being detained on Ellis Island and deported. By the time Robert was born, his father had gained citizenship but growing up in an immigrant family in the ‘war-zone’ of the South Bronx shaped his commitment to activism, and the arts which saved him.
Through the arts, Robert found his way in this world: He played piano, violin, and bass, composed music, and mastered opera. He trained as a dramatic baritone at New York College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and in master classes at Julliard with Maria Callas. His studies culminated in a solo recital at Carnegie Recital Hall. He also studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse and performed in plays off- and off-off Broadway. While pursuing his artistic dreams, Robert served his community through his work at the Community Development Action Agency of the City of New York, the Puerto Rican Community Development Project, and the National Puerto Rican Forum.
Robert then moved to Hollywood to pursue his acting. He worked as an art dealer before moving to Sonoma where he raised his daughters, India and Kashi. In Sonoma, he fought for equal access to education for the Latinx community. His complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (No. 09–95–1134–I) successfully brought change to the Sonoma Valley Unified School District. Robert continued service work at GLIDE, Catholic Charities East Bay, and California Human Development. With his children grown, Robert returned to the arts world representing artists at numerous galleries in Healdsburg. He was a committed volunteer at the Healdsburg Food Pantry.
Known for his good-nature and grace, Robert never relinquished his fight. Concerned about growing income inequality and housing insecurity in his Healdsburg community, he delivered a speech and ended it with a “loosely paraphrased” quote that he attributed Rumi: “Oh brother stop! You are running too fast! You are at the edge of a precipice, and you will fall over and die.” He hoped that growth would not outpace support for those facing housing insecurity.
In honor of Robert, we welcome donations to UndocuFund (https://undocufund.org/donate/).
