Robert Dumouchel Obituary

Robert "Bob" Dumouchel of Arroyo Grande, California passed away on July 7, 2025 – his 72nd
birthday. Many knew Bob as a serial entrepreneur, community builder,
and tireless mentor to those willing to take the risk and start a business. But he
was also a Dad, Husband, Grandpa, Brother, and proud Army Veteran.
Bob grew up in Anaheim, California, with his brothers Larry, Tim, and David, and
attended Magnolia High School. If the stories of their childhood are to be believed,
the boys caused trouble the entire time their poor mother.
Bob enlisted in the US Army in 1971 and quickly rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant
shortly after his 22nd birthday. He served tours in Vietnam and Thailand.
Afterwards, he spent two and a half years in and out of Letterman Army Hospital
on the Presidio of San Francisco, undergoing seven major abdominal surgeries
related to his military service. He was honorably discharged in 1978.
While serving as an armorer on the Presidio, Bob met his future wife, Robin - a
military Police Officer. The way he always liked to tell the story was that they met at gunpoint. They were married in 1979 and moved to Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, where they'd raise their two sons, Robert and Ryan.
Bob launched his first business, Systems and Programming Solutions Incorporated (SPSI), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The business started in Bob's basement with his buddy Jim Keck. Eventually, it grew to be an Inc. 500 Company and IBM Premier Business Partner with 40 employees, many of whom SPSI hired with no programming experience and trained on the job through an intense boot camp-style apprentice program.
In 1996, the family decided to relocate from the Midwest to the beach and landed
in Arroyo Grande, California. Bob quickly integrated himself into the Central
Coast's tech community and started multiple businesses, collaborating with his
colleagues on big ideas, and mentoring people at every stage of their professional
journeys. Bob gave his time freely to colleagues, fellow entrepreneurs, college
students, and Arroyo Grande High School's Eagle Robotics Team.
Business was frequently a family affair. Robin, Robert, and Ryan all spent time
working with Bob at different points in their lives. For a few years, the entire
family – including the family dog, Loki – worked together at Systems & Marketing
Solutions (SMS – Bob really liked acronyms) in Grover Beach.
Bob retired from SMS in 2021, but never stopped working. He focused his time on
passion projects, building community tech-related meetup groups, mentoring, and
being a grandpa to Zeplen and Bowie. Bob had a very curious mind and was
constantly reading and experimenting. Always looking forward, Bob challenged
people to ask themselves, "What's next?" That positive legacy will live on amongst
his family and friends.
A celebration of life will be hosted on July 28, 2025, from 6pm to 8pm at the Cal Poly Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship located at 872 Higuera St, San Luis Obispo (https://www.meetup.com/softec/events/309993504/). In lieu of flowers, the family suggests honoring Bob's memory with a contribution to your local Food Bank.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Robert, please visit our floral store.