September 30, 2019
Robin and Lori Ives. Circa 1961
Sierra Club Angeles Chapter’s inspirational leader, long-time member and conservationist, Robert (Robin) Ives, passed away earlier this year on January 11, 2019.
Ives and his late wife, Lori, were very well known members of the Sierra Club community in Southern California, often dedicating their time and passion teaching others and working to protect wildlands and habitats.
The former Eagle Scout grew up outside of Philadelphia in an area that suffered from an ample amount of coal pollution, which later sparked his interest in conservation.
After graduating college, Robin spent a few years mountaineering in Washington where he caught word of the Sierra Club and the great things the organization was doing for conservation and outings. In the fall of 1958, Robin was given the opportunity to move out to Claremont, California to teach mathematics at Harvey Mudd College where he met Lori and officially joined Sierra Club.
Robin’s wife, Lori, was already a Sierra Club member at the time and the two immediately bonded over a shared love for the outdoors. In a 1984 interview by Richard Searle for a Sierra Club Oral History Project, Lori stated, “He gave me transportation to the mountain on the weekends, and we did a lot of Sierra Club things. He helped me. He made sure that I had a good pack and good hiking shoes and all of that kind of stuff.”
The two were married in 1961 after Lori graduated from Harvey Mudd. The two went on to campaign for the passage of many bills in California, such as the California Wilderness Bill in the 1980s and the California Desert Protection Act in the 1990s.
Robin’s many accomplishments in the club included becoming a member of the Angeles Chapter Executive Committee and chapter chairman; chairman of the Southern California Regional Conservation Committee; chairman of the Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee; editor of the Southern Sierran; founder of the Mount Baldy Group of the Angeles Chapter; and founder/chairman of the Angeles Chapter Basic Mountaineering Training Course.
He and Lori were also responsible for producing most of the Chapter's publications and monthly newsletters as well, which ultimately led them to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the organization and honored with some of the Angeles Chapter’s most prestigious awards.
It’s no secret that both Robin and Lori were dedicated to their community. The two were married for 53 years and spent the remainder of their lives together in Claremont where they resided.
“I essentially married him and the Sierra Club in 1961,” said Lori in a past interview.
The two have both moved on, but their impact and love for the Sierra Club will continue to live on for many many years. Our deepest condolences to the Ives family; they are both greatly missed.
If you have any wonderful stories or memories with Robin or Lori, please share them in the comment section below.
Photos by Bob Cates