Bobbie Connolly Stahl

Bobbie Connolly Stahl Living to be 103 requires stamina. Bobbie Stahl certainly had stamina. She also had tenacity, intensity and drive - qualities forged through her unconventional upbringing, and colorful, passionate life. After losing her mother at a young age, Bobbie was raised by aunts, Letha and Lola, first in San Antonio Texas, and later in a little town called Hollywood. In Hollywood, Bobbie pursued her first true passion - the saxophone. At fourteen years of age, Bobbie was playing at the Pantages Theater. She toured as part of the cast of Saxophobia and as part of the Ina Ray Hutton Band. To say that she pushed the boundaries as a saxophonist playing with an all-girl band in the 1930's goes without saying. However, to quote Bobbie she, "was very, very good." She trained with the best, played with the best, and thrived in the spotlight. While pursuing her music career, Bobbie graduated from Hollywood High School and the Hollywood Conservatory. She also attended Hollywood Presbyterian Church where she discovered her second true passion - Dr. William (Bill) G. Stahl. Being a "showgirl" didn't particularly endear Bobbie to Bill's father. Nevertheless, she made a lasting impression on Bill, and the love they shared was extraordinary. Bobbie continued her education earning a nursing degree enabling her to work alongside her husband. The Stahls forged a life together in a time when an unchecked and incurable polio virus was infecting thousands. While the medical profession presented a terrifying and uncertain future, Bill planned to be a medical missionary and Bobbie committed to serving with him. However, their lives changed course, when Bill was offered a position at a small hospital in Pomona, CA. In 1942, when the hospital closed, Bill and Bobbie decided to build their own hospital, the Garfield Cottage Hospital where Bill led the medical staff and Bobbie served as a nurse and administrator. Together the Stahls raised four children: Jacquelyn, Kenneth, Tammera, and Diana. After Bobbie's children were grown, she enrolled in the University of La Verne and earned her Bachelor of Science Degree and teaching credential. She went on to teach surgical nursing at the collegiate level. After Bill's passing in 1980, Bobbie committed herself to her third passion, serving friends, family and God. In 1995, Bobbie received Western University's Humanitarian of the Year Award for her service and Bill's service to the College of Osteopathy and to the community at large. As anyone who attended her 100th birthday party can attest, Bobbie had style, grace, and an obvious and easy charm. A "showgirl" to the end, Bobbie loved to entertain. She loved to play her saxophone. She loved to drive her Cadillac on the median. (She later loved to be driven in her Cadillac within the confines of her lane.) She loved her family, and she loved her God. Bobbie is survived by Tammera, Diana, seven grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. Funeral Information Memorial service will be held Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 11 am. at Trinity Presbyterian Church, North Tustin

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