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Bob Ringwald, a pianist who promoted jazz and the father of Molly Ringwald, has died at 80.
The “Sixteen Candles” star shared the news on Instagram on Saturday.
“It’s with a heavy heart that my family says goodbye to my father. I consider myself very lucky to have had in my life as long as I did. Robert Scott Ringwald 1940-2021,” Molly wrote, sharing a collection of photos of her dad.
Molly also wrote an obituary for her dad that was shared in The Sacramento Bee.
Robert Scott Ringwald, known to most as Bob, was born with vision problems and went blind early, but still he started playing the piano at only 5, later starting his first band The Rythemaires at 12.
“At the age of 17, he was able to grow enough of a beard to be able to pass for an adult to play in nightclubs as a professional musician, an occupation he held for the next six decades,” Molly wrote.
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Graduating high school in 1960, Bob married Adele Frembd who he was wed to for 60 years.
While first attracted to modern jazz, it was hearing Louis Armstrong that instilled “a lifelong passion for the performance and preservation of ‘traditional’ New Orleans jazz.”
Molly shared a number of sweet stories about her dad, including: “Anyone who knew Bob also knew his mischievous streak, and his ever-present, slightly ribald sense of humour. If you didn’t sufficiently beg to get off of his email joke list, you would have received one just a couple of days before he died.”
Bob helped organize the first Sacramento Jazz Festival and always claimed to be “just the guy who said it would never work.” But thanks to Bob, it ran all the way to 2017.
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His other passions included the Dodgers and being a licensed ham radio operator.
“His dignity, humour, strength of character and courage will always be remembered and cherished by everyone whose lives were touched by his,” Molly added.
Bob is survived by his wife Adele, his sister, children Beth, Kelly and Molly, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to the Foundation Fighting Blindness or to CURE Childhood Cancer.