Rob Caughlan, RIP – hero of the Stanislaus River Proposition 17 campaign

Rob Caughlan was an amazing and unique person – he passed away in January of 2026 at 82 years of age.  See more about Rob in the Archive here.  The Proposition 17 campaign in 1974 was one his very first forays into political consulting, as he partnered with Jerry Meral, David Kay and others in the incipient Friends of the River organization to help pass the ballot measure to save the Stanislaus River. He always had a twinkle in his eye and an unerring knack for political mischief, always in support of good causes. He had other skills, too – he was most passionate about surfing, and ended up creating the Surfrider Foundation to protect the ocean and surfing, and he was an amazing whittler, presenting those who worked on taking people down the river for Prop. 17 with a hand-carved wood paddle on which was inscribed in flowing water forms, “May you always be befrienders of rivers”.  Amen and always find the water, Rob!  You can see his full obituary here (PDF 6mb), and a 2020 interview with Rob here.