Remembering Bob Ihsen

I was quite saddened to learn that Bob Ihsen passed away at his home this Christmas Day. He was 93. A beloved teacher of history at Covina High School for most of his career, Mr. Ihsen was also a founding member and long-time president of the Covina Valley Historical Society, and that's how he and I came to cross paths.

Mr. Ihsen in his native habitat. Photo by Marty Getz, used with permission.

Like Glenn Reed before him, Bob Ihsen was an invaluable source of knowledge about Covina history, and both men also enthusiastically encouraged my own research. Years ago, Mr. Ihsen gave me a stack of his own personal copies of the CVHS's newsletter—the Covina Citrus Peal—going all the way back to the turn of the century, and time and again these have proven to be useful references, indeed. For my efforts, Bob also awarded me a lifetime membership in the historical society, which was a great honor as you might imagine.

Unfortunately, because I live so far from Covina and am limited in my ability to travel, the only time I got to meet Mr. Ihsen in person was during my medical trip to the Southland in May, 2024. We met at Powell Camera where went through Mark Thiel's amazing collection of old Covina photographs, with each of us giving commentary on them when we saw someone or something worth noting. Afterwards, Bob and I went over to the Firehouse Museum, which I'd never had the opportunity to tour before. And when one visit to the museum proved to be not quite enough, he invited me back for another go-around a few days later! It was a real privilege to be able to spend all that quality time with Mr. Ihsen and the historical society's treasures from Covina's past.

Rest in peace, good sir. I'll do my best to keep the torch burning, and will always remember you fondly.