Robert Marble Hinrichs
April 3, 1933 - September 30, 2020 Resident of Cloverdale, CA
The Honorable Robert Marble Hinrichs, age 87, lost his long battle with Parkinson’s disease, on Sept. 30, 2020. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lt. General John Honeycutt Hinrichs and Miriam Marble Hinrichs and by his wife of 60 years, Helga, who died Sept. 3, 2019.
Robert was born in Baltimore, MD. As an Army family moving was second nature, Robert attended many schools including the Punahou School in Hawaii. As a member of the Marble family, prominent Monterey County and Nevada ranchers, a love of ranching and agriculture ran deep in his veins. He worked on ranches from his early childhood and owned a cattle ranch with his brother for much of his adult life.
Robert graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1955. He followed his father, USMA Class of 1928, his grandfather, Fredrick W. Hinrichs Jr., USMA Class of 1902, and his great-grandfather John Thomas Honeycutt, USMA class of 1874.
Robert served his country until 1967. During his Army career, he served with distinction in the Ordinance Corps and worked on the early rocket program headquartered at White Sands Missile Range.
Availing himself of an opportunity, he took a leave of absence from the Army and attended Stanford Law School, graduating in 1965 with a Juris Doctor degree. In 1967, after serving as an Army lawyer for two years, Robert, then a Major, resigned from the Army and joined the Salinas, CA. law firm of Abramson Church & Stave. Several years later he became a partner in that firm.
In 1984 he was appointed to the Superior Court for Monterey County. He served in every capacity fulfilling his duty as a Judge during his tenure until retiring in 1998. Upon his retirement, the legal community named him the “Gentleman Judge.” Robert retired to a small ranchette in Sonoma County to continue to be close to the land.
Throughout his life Robert was an involved civic participant, donating time, money, and talent to a vast array of causes. As a gentle soul, he prioritized taking care of his wife and family. He lived his life by the values instilled in him by his father and West Point - Duty, Honor, and Country. These values touched everything he accomplished and attempted to accomplish. Few people can have said about them by so many that they measured their lives by his. For those that he left behind and for those that knew him, we understand the sum of his life and how he touched us, and his contributions to a just and gentle world.
He is survived by his brother John H. Hinrichs Jr., of Salinas, sons Thomas K. Hinrichs, and Michael H. Hinrichs, daughter-in-laws Annette and Cindy, granddaughters Shannon, Theresa, and Alexa, along with many nephews, nieces, and cousins. Graveside services will be held at the USMA West Point Cemetery for both Helga and Robert.