David and I are mourning the passing of Bob Moretti on June 22, 2005, just days before the start of Nora's Tango Week 2005, an event he co-founded with Nora Dinzelbacher in 1997.

As co-producer, Bob kept the Tango Week plane flying through the cross winds of contentious Tangueros, tumultuous artistic temperaments, and tired feet. He had a way of quietly working in the background, so that the Tango could take center stage.

Tango was a passion that came to Bob early, as a child growing up in New York City. But his love for Tango went unrequited for a very long time. Bob waited until he raised his family and retired from the Air Force as a Colonel to start studying with Nora 12 years ago. Soon, Bob was spending weekend after weekend driving from his home in Chico to dance at Milongas from Sacramento to San Jose. Bob also made numerous trips to Buenos Aires and wrote a musical about Argentine Tango, called "The Devil's Tango", and was negotiating to have it produced on Broadway when he died.

David and I will always remember Bob standing at the door of the ballroom at the Emeryville Holiday Inn, greeting everyone with that broad, but shy smile of his. Bob was always smiling at Tango Week. And we know why, because he shared a secret with us at Tango Week 2003.

Bob didn't produce Tango Week for the money or the glory. This was his payback. Before each Tango Week Milonga, after Kathleen Blake's decorating crew departed and the band tuned up, Bob would take his partner and dance one Tango - in the Grand Ballroom, dancing to live music, with no other couple to disturb that special moment. Then Bob would unlock the doors, and welcome in the rest of us with his beaming smile.

Our hearts go out to Bob's partner and all of us Tangueras, who will never dance with Bob again; to Nora, who along with Ed, will have to carry on without Bob's broad smile and sage advice; and to Bob's wife and family, whom he loved even more than the Tango.

I just wish we had time for one more Tango, Bob.

Nancy Stevens Mendoza & David Mendoza

Donations and More Information

To view a photo history and read about Bob's rich live and amazing accomplishments, access the loving obituary created by his son, Johnny Moretti at http://www.operationplayground.org/bob_moretti.

In lieu of flowers, Bob left a special request for donations to be made to an organization that his son, Johnny Moretti, established to raise funds for the development of children's playgrounds along the tsunami-torn shoreline of Thailand. A website has been set up to receive donations at http://www.operationplayground.org/donate.html. Or you can send a check, made out to "John Moretti", and send it to PO Box 60864, Palo Alto, CA 94306. For more information about Operation Playground, go to www.operationplayground.org.