Pat and Bob Apple

  Sadly we have learned that our long-time Croquet Club member 
Robert E. (“Bob”) Apple passed away last Saturday, June 31 2021, at the age of ninety-nine, 
while visiting his son in North Carolina. Along with his wife, Pat, Bob was a founding member 
of the Mission Hills Croquet Club and one of its most ardent and loyal supporters. 

  Bob was a retired U. S. Navy Commander and a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy in 
an accelerated graduation class near the end of World War II. He served in the South Pacific 
and was wounded during one of the last major sea battles of World War II. After leaving the 
Navy Bob never really retired, ultimately staying active as a respected real estate agent 
in Rancho Mirage, California. Bob was pre-deceased by his beloved wife, Pat, and is survived 
by daughters Laura and Karen, son Robert, and six grandchildren. 

  He will be accorded the honors of a military burial in Arlington National Cemetery. Bob was a 
distinguished member of our country’s Greatest Generation who will be sorely missed.

--Nick Grey


Navy lieutenant Engebretson salutes his senior officer, Navy commander Bob Apple.

--Dick Engebretson

Bob was a lovely person. I’m sorry to hear of his passing. Rest In Peace, Bob.
--Mike Orgill

 Bob Apple was truly an officer and a gentleman, in the finest sense.
And, he was always smiling!
-- Jean Engebretson

Well said Jean, I loved both Bob and Pat and I think they both shared that special bond together as well.
Always smiling, like my Dad, and welcoming to all.    May they both rest in peace and happiness togethe
--Paul Bennett

BOB AND PAT:  What a amazing duo.  A charming couple who led a charmed life.

Bob wore many hats, but my takeaway from many chats with Bob, was that he was gifted raconteur.  His stories were 1940’s vintage, but were both interesting and hilarious.  

I hope Bob and Pat can ballroom dance in Heaven, to the big band music of their era.
Like Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman, just like they did in the 40’s.

They formed the cradle of the MHCC, and will always be remembered for their class and congenial ways.

--Mike Corrigan

Pat’s thinking of Pat and Bob Apple and how wonderful they made Mission Hills World Class croquet for all of us.
After an extremely hot day, but tomorrow may be about 8 degrees hotter and muggier with clouds etc.  
It is much cooler to play in the evening when the sprinklers come on and 
remember how cool and joyful Pat and Bob made these lawns.

--Pat Dugan

	Pat Apple (1925-Mar 2021)
	Club Co-Founder, Dear Friend,
	Energetic Member, and Skilled Player

  While many of you may have assumed Pat Apple had ‘been with our Club for a long time’, 
you may not have realized she, along with Nancy Deupree, was one of our Club’s Founders.
 
  According to Club Historian, Jim Butts, in 1989 Pat Apple attended a charity event 
at the Mission Hills Country Club (MHCC) to have tea and cake and watch a player from 
the United States Croquet Association (USCA) demonstrate American Rules Six Wicket Croquet. 
When it was over, the Mission Hills General Manager asked Pat if she liked the game. 
She said that it was very interesting because she had played backyard croquet but the game 
the gentleman played was intriguing because it appeared to be more difficult and demanded a 
great amount of strategy in the play. The General Manager then asked Pat if she would start a 
Croquet Club at Mission Hills.  She was a little reluctant at first, knowing very little about 
the sport of six-wicket croquet, but when two other people at the event that day, 
Nancy Deupree and Dick Pierce, immediately volunteered to pitch in and help, Pat agreed to do it.
 
  Pat received much help and cooperation from the MHCC, particularly from Tommy Tucker, 
then head of tennis, and David Johnson, then head agronomist at Mission Hills. An area of lawn 
behind the sports and tennis clubhouse was mowed down to be like a golf green.  This new croquet 
lawn was full size and cut short and maintained like a golf green.  The Mission Hills Croquet Club 
thus was formed, with Pat as the first President, dues and donations were collected from members to purchase equipment.
 
  In 1990, Pat and Nancy took a trip to Phoenix to watch a world-class six-wicket croquet tournament.  
There they met the best of the best, including Stan Patmor, then head of croquet in Phoenix.   
Stan offered to come over to Mission Hills and help out by teaching the game, etc. He continued to 
come over on a regular basis for some time and was helpful to Pat in giving the growth of croquet at Mission Hills a boost.
 
  In the early years, when Pat and Nancy were beginning to hold tournaments here, 
Mike Gibbons (then CEO of Estee Lauder, and now a member of the Croquet Hall of Fame) helped greatly 
and offered, “When you do a tournament, call me and I will send you what you want." This promise 
resulted in 300 bottles of perfume for Pat’s President’s Award Dinner held in conjunction 
with the 2005 USCA Nationals Tournament!
 
  Pat is survived by her beloved husband, Bob, daughters, Laura and Karen, son, Robert, and 
six grandchildren.  Pat will be accorded the honors of burial at Arlington National Cemetery 
in the gravesite of her husband, a retired Navy Commander, and where her five-year old daughter Donna is buried.
 
  The family is planning a gathering of friends in Mission Hills to be held April 3 to 
celebrate and honor her wonderful life.  Further details will be provided in a subsequent email

What sad news! We’re losing the good ones. RIP Pat
--Mike Orgill

One of the best winters we’ve spent recently was living next door to Bob and Pat at MHCC. We’ll miss her.
--Michael Albert

Bob,
  Condolences for you loss, I just heard the news from Nick.  
Pat was such a wonderful gift to our game of croquet.
May she rest in peace in heaven, although I am sure she will be playing the game of croquet with the ones she met in this game.
--Paul Bennett