OBITUARY Robert (Bob) Duncan Puccini February 7, 1947 – October 9, 2018 Bob Puccini, 71, of San Francisco, passed away early Tuesday morning, October 9, 2018 from complications following a sudden heart attack. He was surrounded by his family at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco as he peacefully laid to rest, listening to one of his favorite songs, El Condor Pasa, by Paul Simon. Bob was born in San Diego to Dee and Elwood Puccini.
As a hospitality industry icon, he began his lifelong career in restaurants at the age of 14 as a dishwasher. He spent his early years in Southern California, attending both high school and college in San Diego, and later went on to travel to over 90 countries. His zest for life and thirst for travel were contagious.
A cultural anthropologist, he immersed himself in the history, traditions, and daily lives of the locals wherever he visited. He loved meeting people everywhere he went, collecting friends around the globe with whom he maintained relationships with until this day. As a young man, he served our country in both the Peace Corps and the military, experiences that shaped his future as an entrepreneur, mentor, and eventual pioneer in the hospitality industry.
As Niki Leondakis, his wife, described, “Bob approached restaurants with a deep understanding of how people want to feel. While food, design, and service were essential in his mind, he would take in and absorb, in a way no one else could, the desires of a community and translate them into experiences that fulfilled people’s dreams, making them feel comforted and loved. He was a true renaissance man”.
Since founding Puccini Group over 20 years ago, his passion for restaurants helped the firm become a market leader for hospitality projects across the globe. During his career, he was responsible for the concept, design, and renovation of more than 1,000 restaurants globally and served as a visionary and trusted advisor to hospitality leaders worldwide. An internationally sought-after speaker, he graced hotel investment conferences from Berlin, Macau, Mumbai and Dubai to Istanbul, Beijing and beyond.
He touched the lives of countless peers and was valued for his commitment to thoughtful design and leading an office that produced his visions lovingly. He treated every member of Puccini Group like family, and to him, there was no difference. Though he was well-known and adored around the globe, Bob exercised humility in his daily actions.
He took pleasure in emptying the office dishwasher, making the first pot of coffee and distributing the mail, all while humming “You Do Something to Me”. No task was beneath him – one of the reasons he was so approachable and made everyone feel like they had ‘a seat at the table. ’ Work was not work for Bob.
His world was restaurants. Bob’s three business partners, Robert Polacek, Simeon Meyer, and Shelia Turner, all worked with Bob for over 15 years and considered him a father figure and best friend. A lifelong learner and teacher, Bob generously shared his 50 years-plus experience with his colleagues, peers, fellow industry leaders, and countless strangers.
Over the course of his life, Bob has taken great pride in being a caretaker of all things. He loved tending to his honey bees at his home in Sonoma, CA, was an avid gardener, a passionate cook, an adoring uncle and father, a mentor and teacher that touched the lives of all who knew him. One of Bob’s greatest joys was sitting around the table sharing meals he’d prepared with a good bottle of wine and plenty of laughs with those closest to him.
Bob relished his role in the hospitality industry and its community. An active leader, he served on numerous boards, including the board of directors of the California Restaurant Association, the board of advisors at University of San Francisco’s Hospitality Management program, as well as the World Travel and Tourism Council. He also held membership in the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.
An accomplished business leader and respected industry voice, Bob’s accolades include being named the Anti-Defamation League’s Food and Wine Industry Person of the Year and Hospitality Design Magazine’s prestigious Platinum Circle recipient. Bob graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Political Science and Economics. Bob is survived by his wife, Niki Leondakis; daughter, Annaliese; brother, Ralph; nieces, Arianna, Elaina, Melanie, nephews Alexander, Geoffrey and Marshall.
Services will be held on Saturday, October 20th at the San Francisco Columbarium & Funeral Home at 10:30am. Donations can be made in his name to the University of San Francisco School of Management Hospitality Program. (usfca.
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