Robert Stephen Adamek

Robert Stephen Adamek, of Newbury Park, passed away peacefully on December 26 at the age of 49. Robert was born on June 24, 1960 in Huntsville, Alabama to Stephen and Lottie Adamek. Robert started playing guitar in his teens and started his first band, The Whiz Kids, while a student at Huntsville High. After graduating in 1978, Robert attended the University of Alabama -- but dreams of rock stardom drew him west to Los Angeles in 1980 with little to his name but his dog and his convertible Triumph. His experience with musical equipment -- plus his distaste for sleeping in a convertible -- landed him a job wiring fire alarm systems to make ends meet while he followed his dream. Throughout the '80s, he played L.A. clubs with his bands Permanent Damage and Sneak Preview. In 1988 he met his future wife Susan Golik while living in Hermosa Beach, and they were married in 1991. Robert parlayed his electrical smarts and his warm, outgoing personality into IT and management "day jobs" for Pedcom, Hunt-Wesson and finally Amgen, where he spent 13 years, most living in Newbury Park. He loved to take camping trips with friends and family, mixing music and work circles and instilling a love for the outdoors and for riding off-road vehicles in his children. Robert never lost his love for music -- playing gigs with The Big Ugly Dummies and recording an album with Troublemaker through the '90s and '00s. He could usually be counted on to share the spotlight by reaching into his "bag of tricks" to distribute some off-the-wall instruments at his gigs. One great gift of Robert's wasn't really recognized until his passing. As old friends have gathered and sent messages, it turns out that many of them have nicknames that Robert gave them, off the top of his head, years ago, that have stuck for decades. They don't necessarily make a lot of sense, but apparently that didn't matter -- for whatever reason, Robert's nicknames have lived on, and will continue to live on for many of the people whose lives he has touched. Robert is survived by his wife Susan, his children Kyle and Kristen, his parents Steve and Lottie Adamek of Huntsville, Alabama, his sisters Constance Creary of Knoxville, Iowa and Karen Knight of Brownsboro, Alabama, and many aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws.