RIP Gato Salvaje

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:11 am

So terribly sad this morning. Gato goes way back.

Don't know what happened but he was a superb family man, UA fan, and athlete.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:14 am

What?? Rip. That is devastating. Bear down always Gato.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:21 am

Holy shit. Rip. Terrible terrible to see someone go so young.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:34 am

oh god i'm going to need some time

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:56 am

Oh my god. His poor family...

Rest In Peace, Bob, with the knowledge that you touched so many people in so many positive ways. You left your mark upon the earth, both literally and figuratively.

catgrad97 · Post by **catgrad97** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:24 am

RIP "Cat Salvage," as I would always call you at tailgates. You will be missed.

BearDown89 · Post by **BearDown89** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:37 am

Sorry for your loss longtime posters. Seemed like a nice and positive guy by the nature of his posts. RIP.

Puerco · Post by **Puerco** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 11:46 am

Oh shit. My prayers are with your family, Gato. RIP.

Kiyama · Post by **Kiyama** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:05 pm

Condolences. Sad.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:37 pm

Fuck. Sorry to hear for all that knew him...incredibly sad.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:37 pm

RIP Gato.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:49 am

OMG this is the most awful thing i could hear this morning -- Bob was a tremendous person, father, and husband.

i shared several meals with him and even met his kids in Newport Beach for lunch with my family.

stunned and saddened doesnt even begin to cover my emotions.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:55 am

Awful awful news. A great longtime poster going back a very long time

Thoughts with his family.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:01 pm

A day later and this is still a kick to the gut. Can’t stop thinking of what his family must be going through.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:03 pm

Services for Robert Bennen

Sacred Heart Church
Friday
1:30-2:00 receiving family and friends
2:00 Rosary
2:30-mass

Father Sean from Kino Border Initiative will be giving mass.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:49 am

Donations:

https://www.gofundme.com/bobbennenmemorial" target="_blank

Article on his death from a Mexican newspaper, ran through Google translate:

http://nuevodia.com.mx/2018/01/16/falle ... rio-local/" target="_blank

Renowned local businessman passes away

Nogales, Arizona.-

Authorities of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office are investigating the death of a well-known local businessman, which was reported last Sunday.

Sheriff Tony Estrada reported that the wife of Robert Bennen, reported to the authorities the disappearance of her husband, who commented came out frequently to exercise but that day he had not answered the cell phone.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Officers who attended the report located the person who had been reported missing near Produce warehouse land located on Bravo Lane on the old road to Tucson.

The person was found dead and was identified as Robert Bennen, 45 years old, the case is being investigated by the authorities of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, as it is done in all cases when the death is suspicious, the local authorities for the time being do not suspect that it is a homicide.

"The case is still under investigation and interviews are being conducted, all cases when a body is found under suspicious circumstances, an investigation is made focused primarily on a homicide to eliminate that possibility and we have to be absolutely sure before confirming it," he said. Sheriff Tony Estrada.

catgrad97 · Post by **catgrad97** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:02 pm

He had posted the day before on Facebook that he had just started biking 20 miles again--called it "like hauling a truck."

Unfortunately, when you resume strenuous exercise after a long downtime, your body is often more susceptible to blood clots and other coronary events.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:08 pm

catgrad97 · Post by **catgrad97** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:21 pm

If I'm wrong, I apologize. I did not read where it said in the notice there were suspicious circumstances and it was a possible homicide. Just thought the sheriff said they were taking all precautions to eliminate that possibility.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:28 pm

las autoridades locales por lo pronto no sospechan de que se trate de un homicidio.

Google translate (FWIW):

the local authorities for the time being do not suspect that it is a homicide.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:44 pm

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:43 pm

I've had a few other friends die recently, most recently in December. But Bob is the only one who was a friend born of Goazcats instead of "real life." Apparently that makes no difference. I'm completely heartbroken.

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:55 pm

Just saw this. Watching the game is not bringing much joy right now. My prayers go out to his family.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:27 pm

Irish27 wrote:Just saw this. Watching the game is not bringing much joy right now. My prayers go out to his family.

I'm sorry, Irish. I know. This is a hard time.

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:39 am

RIP - condolences to family, friends and posters....

Reydituto · Post by **Reydituto** » Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:15 am

Late Sunday night, in a sleepy haze, I came across a Facebook post from a relative of Bob Bennen, written in Spanish that was a bit too confusing for me to decipher. On the face of it, if you didn't know Spanish, it looked very innocent, just a picture of Bob and a couple guys having fun, smiling. There was a word that I kept running over in my mind, desapareciendo, a word I should have known immediately, but to no avail, as I drifted off to sleep with a vague, disquieting feeling that something was off.

I woke up to the worst of my fears Monday morning, and TBH, it's sent me for a bit of a loop.

Like several here, I got to know Bob first through the GOAZCATS Free Board, as we connected through our mutual love of travel, food, UA Sports, and The Gadsden Purchase (specifically the lands it covered). I had only met him "IRL" on two occasions in my time knowing him, but we had a ton of mutual friends from our overlapping days at UA as undergrads, and I had gone to high school with his wife and her family. He was one of those people who "never met a stranger", with an easy manner that belied a mischievous sense of humor. Due to our shared experiences, similar background, and common history, Bob was someone I immediately felt like I had known a long time already, and someone I was sure would be a friend for very long time, in spite of the slight detachment that characterizes many predominantly "online" friendships.

We exchanged recipes and restaurant recommendations, here and elsewhere. I envied his Facebook posts of the running, cycling and hiking he did throughout the beautiful and underrated Borderlands, as well as the backyard cookouts he enjoyed with his family, and the tequila tasting parties he had with friends that I could never have because none of my close friends even like tequila. He usually checked in when there was an El Clasico between Real Madrid (his team) and Barcelona (mine), or a big international soccer match in our orbit of interests - He followed Croatia, I Spain and Ireland, due to our respective ancestries. And of course, we rode the wave of UA Sports, commiserating on the antiquity of Arizona Stadium and the self-flagellation of attending games, while remembering moments of that vastly underrated 1994 Final Four team that we both lived through as students.

For the last decade we basically "threatened" to meet up for dinner at some point in the near future. I took for granted this would happen, eventually.

As if I needed another reminder that life is fleeting. Regret is too light a word.

And, that's just my personal sorrow, as someone on the outer layers of his social onion, who finds solace in knowing many friends and acquaintances in the same layers felt the same way. My heart breaks for his wife, his family, and those closest to him.

What I take from the example of his life is two-fold: One, that I need to take that risk (however small) and extend friendships with good people whenever I can, sooner than later, and Two, we all should elevate our pursuits of a life well-lived. Bob Bennen lived life well. He loved well, and was well loved. Should we all be so fortunate. I know my life was better for knowing him. Saludos compadre. Until we meet again.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:24 am

97cats wrote:OMG this is the most awful thing i could hear this morning -- Bob was a tremendous person, father, and husband.

i shared several meals with him and even met his kids in Newport Beach for lunch with my family.

stunned and saddened doesnt even begin to cover my emotions.

I never thought about it enough, but I guess I just assumed all of us would expire at an extreme, and somewhat acrid old age while arguing with future generations of Cats fans, who as of now are yet to be born. Instead, it all got real really fast when one of our favorite people, and maybe the most alive of any of us, got taken away.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:25 am

Reydituto wrote:Late Sunday night, in a sleepy haze, I came across a Facebook post from a relative of Bob Bennen, written in Spanish that was a bit too confusing for me to decipher. On the face of it, if you didn't know Spanish, it looked very innocent, just a picture of Bob and a couple guys having fun, smiling. There was a word that I kept running over in my mind, desapareciendo, a word I should have known immediately, but to no avail, as I drifted off to sleep with a vague, disquieting feeling that something was off.

I woke up to the worst of my fears Monday morning, and TBH, it's sent me for a bit of a loop.

Like several here, I got to know Bob first through the GOAZCATS Free Board, as we connected through our mutual love of travel, food, UA Sports, and The Gadsden Purchase (specifically the lands it covered). I had only met him "IRL" on two occasions in my time knowing him, but we had a ton of mutual friends from our overlapping days at UA as undergrads, and I had gone to high school with his wife and her family. He was one of those people who "never met a stranger", with an easy manner that belied a mischievous sense of humor. Due to our shared experiences, similar background, and common history, Bob was someone I immediately felt like I had known a long time already, and someone I was sure would be a friend for very long time, in spite of the slight detachment that characterizes many predominantly "online" friendships.

We exchanged recipes and restaurant recommendations, here and elsewhere. I envied his Facebook posts of the running, cycling and hiking he did throughout the beautiful and underrated Borderlands, as well as the backyard cookouts he enjoyed with his family, and the tequila tasting parties he had with friends that I could never have because none of my close friends even like tequila. He usually checked in when there was an El Clasico between Real Madrid (his team) and Barcelona (mine), or a big international soccer match in our orbit of interests - He followed Croatia, I Spain and Ireland, due to our respective ancestries. And of course, we rode the wave of UA Sports, commiserating on the antiquity of Arizona Stadium and the self-flagellation of attending games, while remembering moments of that vastly underrated 1994 Final Four team that we both lived through as students.

For the last decade we basically "threatened" to meet up for dinner at some point in the near future. I took for granted this would happen, eventually.

As if I needed another reminder that life is fleeting. Regret is too light a word.

And, that's just my personal sorrow, as someone on the outer layers of his social onion, who finds solace in knowing many friends and acquaintances in the same layers felt the same way. My heart breaks for his wife, his family, and those closest to him.

What I take from the example of his life is two-fold: One, that I need to take that risk (however small) and extend friendships with good people whenever I can, sooner than later, and Two, we all should elevate our pursuits of a life well-lived. Bob Bennen lived life well. He loved well, and was well loved. Should we all be so fortunate. I know my life was better for knowing him. Saludos compadre. Until we meet again.

This makes me feel a ton better. Thanks, B. I think I have some things to rethink.

ghostwhitehorse · Post by **ghostwhitehorse** » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:06 am

. . . damn.

Osborn · Post by **Osborn** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:36 pm

“The crowd spilled outside.”

I read Merkin’s post last week and thought to myself, “Fuuuuuck. That sucks. Gato seemed like a great guy.” I remember reading Gato’s posts and connecting with him because he was also a local. Turns out there was something else too.

After Merkin’s post I read up on Gato and discovered he was from Nogales AZ. “That’s the connection,” I thought - he probably mentioned that he was from Nogales.

My mom was born and raised and met and married my dad in, Nogales. Nogales is still pretty small, so my mom knows most everyone from the old families in Nogales despite leaving in the 60’s with my dad to chase life, raise their boys, and retire. I figured my mom would surely know Gato’s family. So, I made a mental note to ask my mom the next time we spoke. Then, I read Rey’s post which inspired me to call my mom right away and ask if she knew of Robbie Bennen and that he had passed.

When I called to ask my mom how and what she was doing, she replied she was “doing good but was in a hurry to leave for Nogales for a funeral”. “Robbie Bennen’s?” I asked, shocked but already knowing the answer.“ {Awkward Pause} How did you know?” Mom asked. “Oh. From a website I read devoted to Wildcat Athletics”, I answered hesitantly (knowing that it would raise more questions far too long to answer in this phone call). I told my mom I read (from Rey’s post) that Robbie Bennen had Croatian ancestry, which was too much of a coincidence.

I learned from my mom that Gato is/was, my third cousin. But unfortunately, we were not close. The ordinary and mundane wedges of time and distance kept us from meeting. Gato and I are great-grandchildren of Luka and Maria Mastick (1898-1980), who emigrated from Croatia and homesteaded in Nogales AZ, start a dairy farm, and raise their family. However, whereas Gato’s family stayed in Nogales to pursue their lives; my mom and dad moved to Tucson to pursue theirs.

Truth be told, Gato and I were separated by more than time and distance; we were also separated by old world traditions, intra-family disputes (of previous generations), and decisions made by our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Decisions by others that continue to ripple through his and my family’s lives.

Without a doubt, you all knew Gato better than I did. Someday I hope to meet his family and share that Gato also had many friends on this site too. Rey said Gato was loved by many. According to my mom, there were so many people at his funeral that the church could not hold all that attended - the crowd spilled outside.

Godspeed, Gato.

Osborn

P.S. I was daily reader, sometimes contributor, at TOS, but didn’t get around to registering here during the Exodus. I felt my fandom was already too much of a distraction and that I should direct my attention towards my marriage, kids, and business. Despite my efforts to move on, I still find myself visiting this site daily to catch up on the Cats and chuckle at your jokes. Thanks all for being here, no other site compares to to get my fix.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:45 pm

Just now seeing this. Devastating. One of my favorite posters. Great sense of humor, never mean-spirited. I just don't know what else to say.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:19 pm

does anyone know how he died?

ive tried to find out and have been unsuccessful.

thank you

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:36 pm

Strange nothing is being reported on the American side of the border.

This is from the Mexican side, and running through Google translate:

http://nuevodia.com.mx/2018/01/17/halla ... mpresario/" target="_blank

"The case is still under investigation and interviews are being conducted; All cases when a body is found under suspicious circumstances, are investigated focused primarily on homicide to eliminate that possibility and we must be absolutely sure before confirming it, "said Sheriff Tony Estrada.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 6:52 am

This news was especially sad. Seems to be under potentially underhanded circumstances (wrong place at the wrong time). All the best to his family

smashmode · Post by **smashmode** » Fri Feb 02, 2018 3:24 pm

Ahh man, rest in peace.

All of my interactions with Gato was fun over at GoAZCats. Even though I've never met him, I could tell he was a guy that was well beloved by the community at large.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Feb 02, 2018 9:22 pm

Thank you, Smashmode. You've been missed. I hope you stick around!

killervibe · Post by **killervibe** » Sat Feb 03, 2018 11:23 pm

He was a good man, with a beautiful wife, a great family, and a successful business. He was one of the few on these forums that I respected. This is unbearable tragedy for his wife and kids.

"The world is a lesser place without him. But I know he is with God and the angels, and even Heaven is improved by his presence there."

Godspeed Bob. Your time here was far too short.

Lando05 · Post by **Lando05** » Sun Feb 04, 2018 7:53 am

I just saw this, my heart goes out to his family. A great poster I never had the chance to meet. RIP Gato. Makes you realize how short life is. Thanks for sharing memories and nice to see old faces like Smashmode and Rey post here. Hope you both stick around.

JMarkJohns · Post by **JMarkJohns** » Sun Feb 04, 2018 8:18 am

No idea where I have been to only now read this.

Gato was an occasional part of some of our Late Night threads 12-14 years ago at GoAzCats, but mostly he’d just drop me a line via PM or rep, either on a post, or a song I’d written. We never met, and didn’t share too much in common, but he was always a voice to encourage.

This is a true shame, and an absolute loss.

walk-on-wildcat · Post by **walk-on-wildcat** » Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:50 am

I don’t venture on the lower boards because of personal attacks but thanks to Dean I heard this news and it broke my heart. I only met Bob once but I felt like I knew him forever. PMs rep messages Facebook friend. He cooked me some great food when we met at a nice campsite at lake Patigonia or Pena Blanca Lake I forget and we drank some beers. Michelob ultra. Well that’s what he drank anyway. I will miss listening about his hikes and bike treks and wish one day I can meet up with his family to hike the Grand Canyon. They would do it in like 7 hrs. Bright angel trail and back up North Kaibib trail. This was a yearly adventure that they do. Get dropped off at the South Rim and get picked up on the North Rim. His dad is such a historian. He was always a family man a great husband and loved his kids food and his bike. I even passed the news to exwalk-on...I just don’t understand that a man a month older than myself and in perfect shape eats healthy doesn’t smoke or take drugs and could probably compete in the olympics could just go on a normal bike ride that he did seemingly EVERYDAY AND NOT COME BACK! He could ride his bike up Mt Lemmon HWY in a snowstorm and a 50 MPH headwind. And I the same age, smokes to much drinks and has a unhealthy diet and after my last bike ride I am totally out of shape as well...and why am I still here and he’s not? If anyone knows what really happened please let me know. Something just doesn’t smell right. Things don’t add up or make sense. And why was it never reported in the Tucson paper that a healthy 45 year old man was found dead? Next to his bike? I hope to God there was an autopsy. RIP my friend. I hope and pray Satenik and the kids are doing ok. Bear Down my friend.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue Jan 15, 2019 10:53 am

One year later...

Last night I went to a memorial mass for Bob at the Sacred Heart Church in Nogales. The heaviness and depth of the loss for his family, friends, and community are enormous. Of course, the outpouring of grief is still fresh. I'm blessed to have connected with his family over the past year, and in spite of the most trying circumstances for all involved, to continue to meet them. Including his bereaved mother and father, who I spent some moments talking to. All anybody can do is just take care of each other. I know we miss him here. I'm reminded every day about what a serious misfortune it is for me to move to Arizona and not have him here giving me a hard time about basically everything. I was set to go on work trips with him to Sinaloa.

RIP Bob.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Mon Oct 07, 2019 9:30 am

its never left my mind wondering what happened to Bob - its been almost two years...can anyone shed any light on how he passed?

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 6:45 am

Gato’s mom just told me a story about about Gato during college, driving southward on the 19 in his Volkswagen toward Nogales with some Delta Tau Delta brothers to drink legally, and then passing his mom in a car full of ladies on their way back home from the Tucson Ballet. His mom, incredulous that he wouldn’t have called before bringing friends home — and suddenly suspicious — told her friend to step on the gas and catch him. As they drove up beside his car and rode alongside, he did a double take and turned white. They pulled him over, and his mom forced him and his friends to sleep over and sober up at their family house when they crossed back over the border after 2 am.

We’re going on to keep laughing at your expense, Gato. You’d do the same you jerk.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:26 am

WOW posted this on FB yesterday as "11 years ago today".

Still a mystery, and maybe we will never know what happened to him.

This is run through Google translate, a dedication to from his father in law.

"The first time I could look at it carefully I thought; he is too good-looking to be a good boy"

https://refugiolibertariol.blogspot.com ... dmire.html" target="_blank

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... rev=search" target="_blank

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:34 pm

One of his sisters once gave him her entire polished rock collection for his birthday, so he made up a song about what a nerd she was. Not a good boy.

BigSkyCatinMT · Post by **BigSkyCatinMT** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 6:25 pm

First I heard of this, just now. Too Damn young.

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