Robert (Bob) Korbett

Dear Bob:

This year, 2025, is coming to an end—the last year in which we were able to walk together. A very sad year.

We say goodbye to 2025 and enter another stage in which we will have to walk a little more alone, with good memories in our backpack.

I want to thank life for having known you and for having had a dear friend at a moment that was magical for me. And I want to thank, within that friendship, the patience you had with me. The greatest luck I could have had was to meet a teacher: someone with the patience to listen, to make himself understood, and to understand a person who, with very few resources, had difficulties speaking another language. And yet, despite those linguistic hardships, we were able to make jokes and laugh together.

Like those references to Shakespeare in which I always said to you tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, in contrast to what Shakespeare said about yesterday, yesterday, yesterday. I always postponed everything.

Or like that photo of the four feet in the water: four feet deep.

Learning with you in those moments was magical. As was having met Justin, whom you will meet again wherever you are.

I already mentioned to you what Socrates said: that after life, what remains is memory; that a person truly dies when the last person who remembers them dies. And, as I told you, you will have a long life. Because I will tell Nora—your goddaughter, your niece, as you yourself adopted that role—about Uncle Bob. I will tell her about you, so that she may keep, through my testimony, the memory of your passage through my life.

It is a very sad year, but at the same time it is full of very joyful memories. And even though we walk through other years in which you are no longer here, you will remain very alive in the memories of all the people who love you. Because you had many people who loved you. And you still have many people who love you.

Nora will remember you. I will make sure of that.

Farewell, Bob.

I don’t remember what he looked like anymore. It was the 90’s, and I was stranded in san diego in the streets and no way to get in touch with the friend that made the reservation.

Bob came and picked me up and took care of me until my friend came. I will never forget that kindness and wished to pay him back somehow and now I’ll never be able to 😭

I had to pleasure to meet Bob once in a cruise ship I was performing at and He made sure to spread positivity, smiles and even tears of joy wherever he set foot. We got a chance to talk about musical theater which is what he loved and cherished.. we, and the stage will miss you Mr Bob❤️ Rest easy talented soul

I first met Bob a little over 5 years ago when he came to stay at my place in Perth as a couch surfer. He originally only stayed for a weekend, but little did I know he would become my part time housemate for the last 5 years!

Always a larger-than-life character, Bob had a love of theatre and the arts that lasted till his final days. He regularly attended the WA Academy of Performing Arts (one of Australia's top performing arts schools) to watch productions and even rehearsals.

Bob and I attended Footloose the musical in June this year for his birthday, and then Beauty and the Beast in August. I will miss our nightly sessions watching re-runs of ER and catching up on Planet America on the ABC (which gave us plenty to talk about).

Having run a BnB Bob had loads of information about looking after houses and taught me a lot of tips and tricks. He loved sunbaking in my back yard and would sometimes sit out the back on a chair soaking up the sun.

When Bob came back to my place in April after going back to the States for a 35-night cruise, he was complaining of a sore throat he had had for a number of weeks. After being prescribed anti-biotics by a few different doctors, he finally went to see an ENT specialist, and that's when he was diagnosed with cancer. He spent most of the winter in Perth going through treatment, but that ultimately didn't work, and he eventually left my house in September to return to the states.

I know the last few months of Bob's life were hard, and I wish there was more the doctors in Perth or San Diego could do to help. But he certainly lived life to the fullest, travelling to well over 100 countries on every corner of the globe, and housesitting in many different locations. Bob has also looked after hundreds of cats and dogs right around the world and could make an amazing outfit for from the op shops for just a few dollars.

I cherished our time together and will miss Bob deeply, but he will never be forgotten.

Bob was my cousin and we grew up together in the younger years. He was always so full of life and fun to be with and laugh with. He had such a great love for my mom, always so thoughtful of her. Life separates people nut love and memories remain in our hearts forever. I will miss him and continue to pray for him. A special tribute to his dear friend Randy, thank you for the celebration of Bob’s life. ❤️

I met Bob through Trusted House Sitters. He sat at our house on one of our first long vacations. He came and stayed with us a few days before we’re leaving on our trip and in conversation we realize we had so many mutual friends and also experiences through theater. He was a lovely man. Soft spoken and kind. I stayed in touch with him through social media over the years And was heartbroken to see that he had passed away. A sweet soul💞💞💞

I met Bob in 2011 while studying at SDSU when moving into David’s house. Or actually he became one of the reasons moving in. After David picked me up from university to show me the house he had to leave early. I stayed for hours talking to Bob. He became my roommate, friend and mentor.

Shortly after I moved in you could tell something really bad had happened. He was shocked and very sad. He just got the news that Justin had an accident and passed away. I gave him a hug to comfort him. He gave me his friendship.

He showed me around in Southern California. Before I got back home to Germany we went on a cruise from New Orleans to the northern Carribbean in early 2012. My very first cruise…probably his 41st or something. That summer he went on another one and we met in Rome. After having explored the city we took the train to Germany where I could show him the region I grew up. I visited him near Manchester in 2018 and we went on a trip to Liverpool following the steps of the Beatles. In 2024 I visited him at a house sit in Wales where the crazy owner kicked us out. I changed my flight and we flew to Stuttgart together where he stayed with me for a good week including a weekend trip to Zurich, very much to the annoyance of my then girlfriend. Quite some trips and adventures we had.

He played a huge role that the 7 months I spent in San Diego became the best and most valuable time of my life. The lessons I learned from him in over 14 years of friendship are countless and fundamental. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without him. I am very thankful that he was part of my life. We were very different and most of the time thousands of miles apart, but close at heart.

Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for all the lessons that made me a better man.
Love, Reik

I met Bob when I was 16 through my brother Justin. I painted the kasa korbet that summer when I met him. My first experience in San Diego was with Mr. Bob, my first time in Ocean and got stung by jellyfish and the first word's was pee on it you'll be fine. I'll never forget my time spent around Bob.

I met Bob in 1979 when I was 22 and Bob was 27. He was my first relationship, and while that didn’t work particularly well, Bob and I stayed friends. When I met Bob, he was living in northern New Jersey, but he moved to Philadelphia and lived for a while in South Philly, owning a home there. We worked together on a production of the gay musical "Boy Meets Boy" with Bob as director and me as musical director and pianist. In the mid-1980s Bob moved to San Diego, and after that, we never lived in the same city but kept in touch and visited each other. I came out to see Bob in San Diego in 1988 and I moved to San Francisco in 1990. Bob had started his bed and breakfast business Kasa Korbett, moving to a larger house in the late 90s. When I lived in Tucson from 2005-2009, I visited Bob often, staying in his B&B, and he came to one of my doctoral recitals at the University of Arizona that coincided with my 50th birthday and stayed with me in Tucson. In 2019 Bob decided to move to Perth and spent most of his time there from then on, that is, between his world travels. We kept in touch via WhatsApp, and he made a few visits to Palm Springs. In August 2023, we met in Philadelphia and had a great time revisiting our old haunts and marveling at what was the same and what was different in our “home” city. Bob’s illness began about a year ago, but he wasn’t diagnosed until he returned to Perth in April. In September he returned to the US and stayed with me before heading to San Diego again. One of the things on Bob’s bucket list was going to Disney Hall in LA, so I got tickets to an LA Phil concert in October. We had a really nice evening, driving in, having dinner at a nice restaurant, and hearing a great concert in a beautiful hall. It’s hard to believe that only two months have passed between that and Bob’s death last week. Bob is the person I've known the longest other than my family and I will always treasure the memories I have and will miss our WhatsApp chats and our visits together. Thanks for sharing part of your life with me!