October 3, 1948 – March 1, 2025

Robert “Bob” Conklin, Jr., long time Lake Tahoe resident, builder, designer, artist and adventurer, passed away on March 1st, 2025 after a brief illness. Born October 3, 1948 to Virginia and Robert Conklin, Sr. in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania, Bob grew up to be an ardent lover of the mountains and the outdoors in general. He also inherited a talent for and love of gardening which continued throughout his life.
As a boy, Bob was very athletic, participating in little league baseball, track, and becoming an expert snow skier. After high school, he joined the Navy and completed UDT training, reputed to be “the most difficult military training on earth”. After completing that training, Bob was assigned to SEAL Team One and was deployed to Vietnam where his heroic action during combat earned him two Bronze Stars, a Navy Commendation medal, two Purple Hearts, and several other awards for his actions and bravery during the war. He also made friendships with fellow SEAL Team members which would last throughout his life.
Bob Conklin was many different things: a master builder, ski instructor, designer, diver, chef, adventurer, athlete and craftsman. He loved Lake Tahoe and made it his home for over 50 years. He constructed and designed his own home which became his labor of love, remodeling it several times throughout the years.
During Bob’s time in Tahoe, he ran his own construction business, winning several awards for his design and remodeling projects. He also worked as a ski instructor at several Lake Tahoe area resorts, led snow-camping and ski excursions, and taught outdoor survival and avalanche recognition courses around the Lake. After he retired from his construction business, Bob began to focus on other creative pursuits. He faced his entire house in stone, designed and constructed a moon gate, and famously tinkered outside his garage, making wooden bowls, candleholders, tops, and myriad other items. He was also an avid gardener and grew many different vegetables and flowers which he lovingly tended to. Most days Bob could be found outside, tending to his garden or tinkering on his wood lathe. He would visit with neighbors who walked by his house and was a constant presence in the neighborhood. Standing in his yard or driveway, wearing his straw hat and sleeveless shirt and covered in saw dust is an image that we will all look back on fondly and miss greatly.
Bob is survived by his family and many friends who loved him very much. We will hold a Celebration of Life for him on Saturday, April 12th at 2PM, at the American Legion Hall located at 2748 Lake Tahoe Blvd., in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Any and all friends of Bob are welcome to come.