Raymond G Tobin

Raymond G. Tobin, 90, passed away on January 26, 2018 at his home in San Diego, CA. Ray was born on March 8, 1927 in Chicago, IL to Cornelius and Mabel Tobin. In 1935 Ray’s family settled in Fort Wayne, IN where he and his brother Donald Tobin attended St. Jude Elementary School and Central Catholic High School, graduating in 1945 as the Senior Class President and Football Team Captain. His future wife, Rose Ann (Rosie) Nassenstein, was Class Vice President. Ray graduated from Indiana Technical College (ITC) in May 1948 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Ray interned at the Northrup Corporation in Hawthorne, CA for one year -- participating in the design and testing of the YB-49 Wing Bomber, laying the groundwork for what would later become the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber in 1990.

Ray married Rose Ann Nassenstein in Fort Wayne on July 16, 1949 and took a job with the US Rubber Company. In 1951, along with colleagues from US Rubber, Ray started his own rubber molding company (KITCO) in Bluffton, Indiana. Ray and Rosie’s first four children were born in Fort Wayne: 1951 (Ann), 1953 (Maureen), 1954 (Colleen), and 1956 (Mike). Ray moved his family from Fort Wayne to Los Angeles in 1959 when he accepted a position as Manufacturing Manager at the Parker Seal Company. In 1962, following a promotion to General Manager, Ray relocated his family to Lexington, Kentucky where his second son, Patrick was born in 1963. In 1966 after his promotion to President of Parker Seal Company Ray returned his family to Los Angeles where his third son, Kevin was born in 1971. During his tenure at Parker Seal Company, Ray designed and provided the unique door seals for the NASA Mercury and Gemini Missions. These are on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Museum. He later also provided seals for the Apollo missions. Under Ray, Parker Seal Company became the world’s largest producer of rubber seals.

In 1970, Ray left Parker Seal to start REAL Seal Company because he felt with his own company he could provide a better family life. Ray was a naturally gifted engineer and an astute businessman. He was able to leverage his many European contacts to get REAL Seal flourishing in just a few years. The entire Tobin family worked in the business. In 1978, Ray moved REAL Seal and his residence to Escondido, California and in 1986, to San Diego where he and Rosie joined the Immaculata Parish so that Kevin could attend the local Catholic high school University High.

In 2000, Rosie was diagnosed with breast cancer and Ray became her dedicated caregiver for the rest of her life. After an additional bout with ovarian cancer and a return of breast cancer, Rosie passed away in 2008. Their marriage of 58 years was an unusually happy one. Ray established the Ray and Rosie Memorial Scholarship Fund at Indiana Technical College as a memorial to Rosie.

Ray retired from the day-to-day operations of REAL Seal by 2000 but remained Board Chairman until his death. Ray is survived by his 6 children, 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ray was preceded in death by his older brother, Donald in 2012.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Indiana Technical College Ray and Rosie Memorial Scholarship Fund or Feed America San Diego, Ray’s favorite local charity.

The funeral Mass will be held at the Immaculata Church in San Diego on March 10th at 10 AM followed by a reception. The inurnment will be at the San Luis Rey Mission Cemetery later that day (family only).