LOS ANGELES, CA - It is never easy to write of a loss in an industry so intricate as ours, and Robert “Bob” R. Glasser, industry stalwart of more than six decades, is among those so full of life and passion it is impossible to summarize. It is with great sorrow that we share this mentor and leader passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 22.
To those who knew him, Mr. Glasser epitomized “work hard, play hard” as he built a full life, maximizing every opportunity of enjoyment while helping to expand his family business, Torn & Glasser.
Born November 20, 1933, in Los Angeles, California, to Jacob and Rose Glasser, Mr. Glasser joined the family-owned food importing, processing, and distribution business after graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and serving a two-year commitment with the U.S. Army, first in El Paso and then in Hollywood. For over 60 years, he faithfully started every workday at 2:00 in the morning, opening shop across from the well-known Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market.
Mr. Glasser’s affinity for the food industry extended to planning his days around meals, dining out, and tracking the world’s most renowned restaurants. A natural explorer who spent extended time in San Diego, California, as well as traveling extensively through Mexico and Europe, taking professional-quality photographs on his travels to document and artfully share his discoveries with friends and family, Mr. Glasser focused on historical sites and took great pleasure in gourmet cooking.
While he held a keen appreciation for food, art, history, jazz, and classical music, his passions didn’t stop there. To say he was a “voracious” reader doesn’t begin to describe Mr. Glasser’s daily consumption of knowledge and stories, and he was recognized by international publications as an expert model plane and ship builder, as his family shares.
His adventures included sport fishing and navigating the ocean on his catamaran, and he avidly played and competed in duplicate bridge. He also held a lifelong love of playing tennis, from his days at Marshall High School in Los Feliz to playing with J.D. Morgan at UCLA, and then for 50 more years to follow. And, as a native Angeleno, Mr. Glasser was “always a Rams fan,” and he remained loyal to his Bruins with season tickets to the Coliseum, Pauley Pavilion, and Rose Bowl for generations.
Mr. Glasser had a soft spot for animals, and when home was an icon in the neighborhood for walking his dogs. He inspired those who worked with him, many of whom expressed deep gratitude for his friendship and guidance for decades. But, above all else and most important to him, he was a devoted husband to Donna, beloved father to Fred (Mary), Greg (Lissette), and Lisa (Maarten), and adored grandfather to Gabriel, Andrew, Adam, Jacob, and Maia.
To his family, friends, and all those who knew and were impacted by Bob Glasser, our team extends our deepest condolences.
