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Obituary

Robert "Robbie" Navarro

Robbie Navarro, the owner of Modern Barber Shop, died Oct. 15. He was 64.

A lifetime resident of Mountain View and Los Altos, Navarro graduated from Mountain View High School in 1965. He gave his first haircuts in the garage of his parents' house, then worked at the Palm Plaza barber shop. He put his career on hold when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. After serving in the First Cavalry Division in Vietnam, he returned home and resumed work as a barber, moving to Modern Barber Shop, where he eventually became the owner.

His family remembers him as true people person with an infectious laugh, and he earned the nickname "the mayor of Mountain View" among Castro Street regulars. When clients needing haircuts were sick or in the hospital, Navarro made house calls, his family said.

Navarro's community involvement included the Art & Wine Festival, the Eagles Golf Tournament and the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce. He sponsored Little League and Babe Ruth baseball teams, became involved in coaching and served on the Babe Ruth League's board. He loved sports, and participated in multiple fantasy leagues, always under the team name "Geniuses."

He is survived by his wife, Mac; son Shaun; brothers Michael and Tym and sisters Vickie Navarro and Sybil Duby. Services were held at Cusimano Family Colonial Mortuary in Mountain View, with interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos.