Bob Schacherl – beloved friend, colleague, Robe Family member and professional entertainment lighting industry legend – sadly passed away this week, aged 70.
Bob served as CEO of Robe Lighting Inc from 2013 until his retirement in 2019 and will be much missed by all in the Robe organization alongside those in the industry who had the privilege of working with him.
Robe lighting s.r.o. CEO Josef Valchar stated, “Bob was a great team builder! He joined some already excellent people in place at Robe’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida, headquarters and helped boost our presence in the USA by assembling a fantastic sales and marketing force.
His opinions, ideas and vast knowledge were invaluable to our mission which was to establish a strong and enduring presence in the vital North American market.”
Bob oversaw the strategic sales for Robe luminaires throughout the region, while building and cultivating invaluable relationships with lighting designers and dealers worldwide. His love and knowledge of music, arts, culture and appreciation of fine wine were often an asset to building these bonds, and many enjoyed the pleasure of sharing a glass with Bob along this journey.
Instantly recognizable for his humanity, quick wit and affable smile, Bob was a key component to Robe’s global executive team for the six years he spent there, acknowledging the power of people, collaboration and the many big personalities of our industry … as well as playing a lively game of golf. He was always an energetic, positive spirit, and his passion for entertainment lighting was surpassed only by the love of his family, friends, and the University of Texas.
Bob’s career started at Blackstone Audio-Visual based in his hometown of Austin, Texas. This later became Blackstone Productions / Lightwave Research, and then High End Systems, where Bob became a trailblazer in the then embryonic and cutting-edge world of moving lights. His interest in technology took him to another ground-breaking moving light brand, Vari*Lite, before joining Robe to steer the Czech manufacturer’s North American operation in 2013.
When Bob joined Robe, the rapidly expanding and young company was enthusiastically and proactively pushing the boundaries of the moving light tech world with the development of innovative high-quality products. Bob brought caliber, experience, influence and an impressive contacts base to the equation, all of which contributed to establishing the Robe brand in this key region.
After retirement, Bob and his wife Carole planned to convert part of their family ranch in Austin into an animal sanctuary and event space, however unfortunately, Bob became afflicted with Frontotemporal Dementia which rapidly robbed him of his speech, mobility, and independence … until his passing.
He is survived by his wife Carole, son David, daughter-in-law Hollie, and two grandchildren.
Forever a part of the Robe family, Bob will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.
