A remembrance of Ron Cauble, from The Bone Room:
It is with a heavy Bone Room heart that we recognize and commemorate the loss of our beloved owner and founder, Ron Cauble.
Ron passed away on the evening of Saturday, July 19. He was 74. He left us too soon and too abruptly, but we take great comfort in the fact that he left us peacefully. He was a brilliant scientist for Wernher von Braun, a sincere lover of natural history and evolution, an admirer of vibrant tattoos and fashion, a fierce defender of being true to your personality, a teacher of morals, a fantastic storyteller, and an absolute barrel of laughs. He was like a grandfather to all his employees, and a staple figure in the Bay Area since his arrival in 1969; having founded the East Bay Vivarium in 1985, his presence in our community has been resounding. We miss him terribly already, and we know we’ll continue to as The Bone Room thrives on.
Ron is survived by his loyal customers, his devoted employees, and his ever-loving long-time partner Diana.
Editors’ note:
Cauble started the Vivarium in Oakland and The Bone Room at 1569 Solano Ave. in 1987. The store on Solano Avenue is focused on natural history items and is filled with fossils, skulls, bones, insects, rocks and “all manner of weird and wonderful things,” according to the store’s website. “Visiting us is like a trip to a mini-museum. We are a source for teachers, artists, illustrators, collectors and imaginative gift buyers; it’s “the best store on earth,” according to an ardent twelve-year-old customer.”
The Bone Room will be closed until July 29 in honor of Cauble, according to Abigail Guerdat, the store’s publicist. When it reopens, it will have a fresh look.
“The Bone Room crew has been hard at work, fulfilling what Ron would have wanted to see for his shop,” according to the store’s Tumblr page. “We’re revamping the whole space during our week-long hiatus: painting the walls, redecorating, and reorganizing our merchandise. We’ll be open yet again come Tuesday, July 29th, (though our website is still up and running, and orders will continue to be filled). Please come by and check out the new space, but more importantly come check out the legacy that our dear Old Bones left behind.”
No information about Cauble’s memorial was available at press time.
Related:
Artists, collectors seek out The Bone Room (04.30.13)
Feel free to leave your memories of Ron Cauble in the Comments.
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