January 7, 1935 – December 12, 2018
Robert Cline Gregory went home to be with the Lord in time for Christmas, surrounded by several members of his loving family in his Montecito, California home. There is no doubt the angel bells were ringing on December 12.
Born in Highland Home, Alabama, Bob’s life represents everything that is good about America. He truly lived the old-fashioned values instilled by his parents, Charles and Bessie Gregory, that set him apart as a leader in the business world, the community, and our family. Wise, warm, and witty, Bob would end conversations with “Be good to your neighbors” and, his signature line, “I’m so glad you got to see me.”
Bob left farm life at 18 to serve in the Air Force; he was stationed in England, Texas, and Arizona. After successfully completing his military service, he began his sales career with RC Cola in Montgomery, Alabama and ultimately settled in Phoenix, Arizona. True to his farming heritage of hard-work and pure integrity, Bob quickly excelled in selling used trucks at Fletcher Jones Chevrolet; he had found his niche in the car business. After building his professional foundation learning from the industry’s iconic leaders at Courtesy Chevrolet in Phoenix, Bob became a General Motors dealer himself, having built his own automotive legacy in Southern California, anchored in Ventura, spanning a career of nearly 60 years.
Playing golf was his passion yet Bob’s greatest joy was his grandchildren: Robert Gregory Kimball; Elizabeth Anne Kimball; Madison Ailie Fitzsimmons; Connor Ryan Fitzsimmons; Ian Michael Fitzsimmons, and Kyle Bradley Fitzsimmons.
Bob is survived by his wife, Nancy Carol Gregory (née Tenge), his daughter, Kathrine Ann Kimball (née Gregory), and son-in-law, William Hunter Kimball, as well as two sons, Robert Joseph Fitzsimmons and John Michael Fitzsimmons, a daughter-in-law, Katie Lynn Fitzsimmons, and his only sibling and younger brother, Terry Wayne Gregory, and sister-in-law, Linda Katherine Gregory.
Within the Paradise Automotive Group, he leaves behind a professional family at Paradise Chevrolet, Ventura and Lake Chevrolet, Lake Elsinore. There are countless colleagues and friends who would also call him a brother and father, mentor and confidante; his firm but fair way was widely respected, his humor appreciated, his southern charm adored, his integrity valued, and his wisdom treasured.
A memorial service will be held on January 5, 2019 at 10:00 am at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara 21 E. Constance Avenue, Santa Barbara, California. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children or Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care of Santa Barbara in Bob’s honor would be a wonderful gesture.
