64566_Robert A._Goggin
Robert A. Goggin was born in Milwaukee, Wis., on Aug. 4, 1931, and grew up in Mason City, Iowa. He attended Holy Family High School and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Portland in 1957 after serving four years in the Air Force.
He received his master’s degree in communications/journalism from Stanford University.
Bob spent nine years with NBC News as a radio and television reporter in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He also held positions as WestCoast network news assignment editor for NBC and in 1966 managed the first computerized election vote tabulation of the 13 Western states for the News Election Service.
News coverage included the Republican Conventions in San Francisco in 1964 and Miami in 1968 and the Democratic Conventions in 1964 and 1968. He was on the Kennedy Campaign train in 1960 and interviewed Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
He was the largest contributor to Monitor radio on NBC, doing Hollywood and sports interviews including Frank Sinatra, Gregory Peck, Vivien Leigh, Jack Lemon, Lucille Ball, George Burns, Bill Cosby, Fred Astaire, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and about 100 others.
He began working in public relations in 1967 with the Dairy Council of California and in 1968 became director of public relations for Phillips-Ramsey, San Diego’s largest advertising/PR firm at the time.
He formed his own PR agency in 1970. During the next 16 years he won more than 18 awards for his PR programs, PR writing and Crisis Communications.
Bob taught radio and TV news writing and public relations at San Diego State University in the ’70s and taught in the Journalism Department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from 1986 to 1988.
After returning to San Diego, he became manager of public information for the AirPollution Control District and retired from that position in 1997.
Bob was a longtime supporter of the American Lung Association and served on the state board and the communications committee. He was a longtime member of Mission Bay Yacht Club.
His hobbies included golf, sailing, wine-tasting competitions and spending time with his beloved family. He loved his trips home to Mason City where he enjoyed getting together with many relatives, friends and classmates.
Bob is survived by his wife, Linda McClure; his former wife, Mary Hogan of Rockwell; children, Barb, Tom, Patty, Christian and Michael; his sister, Jane Phalen of Mason City; three nieces: Kathy Stachon, Nancy Logan and Beth Burkey; one nephew, Matt Phalen; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and many great nieces and nephews.