Eliahu Vrobel

Obituary

Elie Vrobel died peacefully in his sleep on Jan. 25, 2024, surrounded by his children and his wife in their home in Huntington Beach.Born in Haifa, Israel on September 15, 1939, Elie was the oldest brother of five. At the age of 21, he met and quickly married Rutie, living with her in his parents’ home until the couple could move to their own apartment in Haifa.Lured by the promise of the “American Dream,” Elie and Rutie soon moved to Los Angeles, where he earned two engineering degrees from USC.After eight years, Rutie and Elie returned to Israel with their baby girl, Galit. There, Elie landed a job at Ormat and quickly became a world pioneer of large alternative energy projects, long before solar energy became a household concept.Despite having two kids, a wonderful community and a successful profession, Elie still felt the lure of America. In 1984, the family left everything and moved to Reno, Nevada and to a challenging stage in their lives.Elie struggled to find the right fit, moving frequently to follow work opportunities. By 1988, at the age of 50, he found himself unemployed. Rather than admit defeat, however, Elie remade himself into an entrepreneur, taking out loans and commitments to acquire a company called El-Com in Orange County, Calif., a business and industry he knew nothing about.Despite the struggles, Elie worked relentlessly to make ends meet, never losing hope and eventually built a thriving business.After a long battle with cancer, Rutie passed away in 2000, with Elie by her side. His children and closest friends thought he would be lost without her. In his early 60s, Elie was neither adept at taking care of himself nor particularly social or outgoing. But, in typical Elie fashion, he surprised everyone. Elie met Sigalit Saar, a widow herself and the second love of his life. They married after a short courtship and built a wonderful life together over the past 23 years.In the last two decades of his life, Elie experienced great abundance and joy. He traveled to the places he wanted to visit and, most importantly, saw the realization of ten amazing grandchildren five from each epoch of his life.Elie was truly a blessed man.The last decade of Elie’s life brought yet another transformation. His son took over the business and, with Sigalit’s help, Elie learned to appreciate the simpler things in life. He became a “star” at many local restaurants, where waitresses loved Elie, not because he was a big tipper, but because they were drawn to his smile and authentic energy. He grew closer to his 10 grandchildren, taking time to connect with them. Despite the many changes in his life, one constant was Elie’s grit which was on vivid display during his final days. Despite being in the ICU for four days, Elie emerged to have an amazing last week of life, full of vitality and mental clarity. This gave him and his family, including two brothers who flew in from Israel to be by his side, the opportunity to say goodbye, share their love and even get in a few games of chess. His final days at home were a testament to his strength, as he passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and an “American Dream” fulfilled. Elie is survived by his wife, Sigalit, his children Galit (Bruce) Reitman and Arik (Lilach) Vrobel, his step-daughters Mayrav (Glenn) Gaslin and Danielle (Chris) Curl; grandchildren: Brendan and Rutie Reitman; Aidan, Lia and Ariell Vrobel; Zev, Oz and Sivan Gaslin; and Isaac and Austin Curl; and brothers Joseph and Daniel.Elie’s funeral took place at Pacific View Memorial on Jan. 28, 2024.