Obituary: Robert Warwick

Robert Warwick

Robert Warwick, the third generation owner of Warwick's bookstore in La Jolla, California, died on January 29 from complications of a stroke. He was 75.

"My father, Bob Warwick, was a wonderful person," said Nancy Warwick. "He was kind, interesting, quirky, intelligent, and a lot of fun. He had a unique, offbeat charm and a sense of humor that could transform the average day into something memorable. He loved the store, and the environment that he and my mom created was truly family-like. I attribute my own success with the business to my continuation of traditions he initiated, as well as to something harder to express ... my dad and I have always known that this store has a soul, and he showed me how to honor it."

Warwick graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a B.S. in geology. In 1964, after teaching high school biology for seven years, Warwick and his wife, Marion Warwick, assumed ownership of the bookstore. Now a fixture of La Jolla, Warwick's was originally founded in Minnesota in 1896 as a paper goods shop selling books, writing paper, and writing instruments. Founder W.T. Warwick relocated the store to California in the mid-1930s, and, with one other move and several major renovations, it has thrived there. In 1998, Warwick's daughters, Nancy and Cathy Warwick, assumed ownership.

Throughout his career, Bob Warwick was active in his community, serving on the original La Jolla Community Planning Board, the La Jolla Town Council, the Torrey Pines Association, and the La Jolla Historical Society.

He is survived by his wife, his two daughters, their husbands, two grandsons, and a sister-in-law. Instead of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the La Jolla Historical Society. A "celebration of life" will be held on Sunday, February 10th. --Karen Schechner