Dr. Robert Quinn, 63, died unexpectedly on Dec. 22, 2024, while relaxing at home with his family in Aptos.
He spent his last days surfing with his son, and welcoming his daughters home for the holidays from New York.
Robert is survived by his wife Polly, his children — Emily, Olivia, and Matthew (better known as Buddy) — and his siblings — Maureen, Kathleen, Joanne, William, and Michael.
Robert was born in Toronto, Canada, on Oct. 5, 1961, to Margaret and William Quinn. He attended Kipling Collegiate High School and was a national champion track and cross-country runner. In 1984, he graduated from Princeton University, where he was the captain of the track team. He went on to attend McGill Medical School, where he met his wife Polly, and graduated in 1988. The pair moved to California in 1995.
Dr. Robert Quinn
Robert was a devoted father. He coached each of his kids in multiple sports, performed one-man puppet shows at home, made pancakes for the kids and their friends after sleepovers. He never missed a sports game or a dance recital. He was a devoted brother and uncle and never missed an opportunity to share a laugh, offer advice or show up where he was needed. The same can be said of his four-decade relationship with his wife Polly. He was her partner through life’s adventures, challenges, and triumphs — of which they had three obvious triumphs — Emily, Olivia and Buddy.
He loved to surf, travel, ski, and play Boggle with anyone who dared to challenge him. His sense of fun and competitive spirit was infectious — whether tackling a word game, skiing, or shredding a wave — he made every moment memorable.
Robert will be remembered for his sense of adventure, optimism and humility. But above all, he will be remembered for his unique ability to inspire those around him. His sense of humor was one of a kind. His humor, warmth, insights, and kindness left everyone feeling better, wiser, and more inspired. A true Canadian at heart, Robert was a champion of the underdog. Family, friends, patients, colleagues — everyone felt better with input from Rob.
Robert worked as an acute stroke and spinal cord injury rehabilitation doctor at Dominican Hospital for 30 years and spent the last 4 years of his career as CEO at Dignity Health Medical Foundation. He dedicated his career to improving the lives of others, going above and beyond for his patients.
He was well-known and loved by his community and will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and all who were lucky enough to know him.
A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, January 11 at Resurrection Catholic Church, 7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos, with a reception following at 2:30 p.m. at Seascape Beach Resort, 1 Seascape Resort Drive, Aptos.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Dr. Robert P. Quinn Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County (http://www.cfscc.org/Quinn) to support a future scholarship fund in his honor.
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Santa Cruz County RTC Mourns Dr. Quinn
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is saddened to announce that former commissioner Dr. Robert Quinn passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 22, 2024.
Dr. Quinn was dedicated to public service and served on the RTC from January 2022 to December 2024 as the alternate to former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend. He was a medical doctor at Dominican Hospital for 30 years and the CEO of Dignity Health Medical Foundation for the past four years.
“It would be hard to find someone with more grace, class and intellect than Dr. Quinn. Not only did he elevate the regional transportation discussion, but he elevated the broader discourse and civility. His loss is immense, but his legacy is even larger,” Friend said.
During his three years on the Commission, Dr. Quinn was a strong advocate for the transportation needs of the region. Dr. Quinn provided support for a number of planning studies and projects to address the vital transportation needs of the community, including the Watsonville to Santa Cruz Multimodal Corridor Program, the Coastal Rail Trail, and Soquel Drive multimodal improvements, while always being mindful of the responsibility to the needs and resources of the community. Dr. Quinn provided unique insight and perspective to transportation in our region, with a focus on public health, fiscal sustainability, and emergency response. His leadership in our community will be greatly missed.
“Dr. Quinn brought reason and perspective to the RTC,” said RTC Commissioner and Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manu Koenig. “His dedicated service on the commission demonstrates just how much he did for our community.”