Robert J. Priefer: Idyllwild Community lost one of their own almost ayear ago on 9/11

It has been almost a year since one of the members of our Idyllwild
Community passed on September 11, 2023, a date that is impossible to
forget.

Robert J. Priefer should be acknowledged and remembered not only for his
involvement in the community of Idyllwild since the 1970s (1974 to be
exact) but also for the personal interactions and connections he had
with members of the community, and his devotion to family.

Robert graduated from Ohio State with a BA in Architecture. He moved to
Palm Springs in the early 1970s and found himself coming to Idyllwild to
enjoy the change of seasons. He designed well over 200 buildings – homes
and commercial projects – on the Hill and many in places like Rowe, NM;
Coronado, CA; and La Bufadora, Baja, Mexico.

One can see his designs everywhere one looks in Idyllwild, from
individual homes to commercial buildings such as Town Center, Oakwood
Center, Idyllwild Brewpub, FERRO Restaurant, Creekstone Inn, Aroma Café
Complex, and the bell tower of the Queen of Angels Catholic Church to
name some.

He summed up his design emphasis and style in this way: “I
believe/strive in creating light filled spaces that are sensible,
natural and functional. By not having a particular style or agenda I
feel free to listen to the clients’ wishes and translate their programs
into reality. As a sculptor of space, I believe it imperative to
integrate the structure with the environment and particularly using the
building site and its characteristics as the foundation of the design
process. The next step is designing from the inside out, which is the
heart and soul of good design. Form truly does follow function.”

I met Robert in 1997 when I moved to Idyllwild, having lived overseas
for 15 years. The mountain drew me up here as if to remind me that my
life needed to be here. Having owned property since the late 1980s I
asked a real estate agent if they could recommend an architect. I met
Robert and felt an immediate connection. We eventually became not only
partners for life but partners in business and in every sense of the
word.

Saying goodbye to him on September 11, 2023, was the most painful thing
I’ve ever experienced. I’ve wanted to honor his memory, but it’s taken
almost a year to sit down and write this. I’ve asked his friends and
colleagues to contribute to his memory and the impact he has had in this
community.

Janice Lyle worked with Robert in creating the Idyllwild Community
Center. She wrote: “Idyllwild was so fortunate to have been the place
that Robert Priefer chose to live, because he so loved this mountain
and its people. And for every one of those years, the community
benefited from the ways in which Robert contributed to it.

I only knew Robert for his last 10 years—we met when I became
president of the Idyllwild Community Center in 2013. Robert had been a
major supporter of the idea of a community center for decades, going
back to the 1990s. He wanted better facilities for kids to play team
sports and helped in whatever way he could to make that happen.

Robert’s architectural skills were appreciated by Dave Butterfield who
was encouraged by Robert to make an initial donation of land and
dollars for the Idyllwild Community Center. Robert spent more than ten
years in countless committee meetings to develop the vision of an ICC
facility that met the County of Riverside’s requirements. That work
was arduous, requiring unceasing interactions with all levels of the
county planning, building and safety, and parks departments.

Robert was someone who didn’t want the limelight. He simply wanted to
make things happen in the most direct way possible. He was a
pragmatist who knew that the realities of the situation demanded
compromise and he was able to work through difficult negotiations to
achieve the goal. Together, we were able to get the Conditional Use
Permit, secure significant CDBG funding, and work with the County
Supervisor and his staff to keep the project going. A different ICC
building will be completed in 2024 and is the result of many recent
efforts by the new ICC board and president Stephanie Yost, but its
foundation was secured by Robert Priefer.

Robert was a wonderfully creative person who didn’t follow tradition
as his only guide, but always wanted to try something new. He found
beautiful architectural solutions to rehabilitating older buildings
such as the Idyllwild Brewpub and Ferro’s which are great examples of
his thoughtful design work that repurposed older structures, giving
them a new life. There are many individual owners of private
residences who revel in the spaces that Robert created for them. I
thought the aesthetic results of his problem solving were amazing, as
was he.”

Dave Butterfield writes: “Robert was instrumental in many of the
things we’ve done. He was involved in or responsible for many of our
contributions to the community. He was at ground zero on the Outpost,
ICC, FERRO, Brewpub, IdyPark, and Town Hall as an instigator, advisor,
or both. He was a good friend, trusted advisor, and creative talent.
Our Idyllwild isn’t the same without him.”

Jim Marsh who is the architect who has been instrumental in completing
the Idyllwild Community Center main building writes: “I was honored to
get the opportunity to work with Robert. He inspired me both
professionally and personally. I marveled at his creativity.  Often,
when I run into a design problem, I ask myself WWRD (What Would Robert
Do).  

Now there is a big void in Idyllwild. To put Robert’s impact in
perspective, he lived and worked in Idyllwild longer than Ernie
Maxwell. He was instrumental in recreation on the Hill – coordinating,
coaching, and playing the entire time. He was the heart and soul of
the Idyllwild Community Center project. He spawned the idea more than
40 years ago and worked towards its creation ever since. It was his
relationship with Dave and Loie Butterfield that advanced it from a
dream to reality. He was delighted to see the playground, PAR course,
amphitheater, and a parking area get built, and of the building is
under construction! His imprint in Idyllwild will last forever.”

Mike H. writes: “Robert had been talking about starting the
amphitheater project. After months of delays there was one final thing
to be done. It was in no one’s contract and no funds had been set
aside. It was the final step to get the job moving. It was during
March 2018 when pre-construction of the amphitheater was scheduled to
begin. Robert was the head of the committee for the Idyllwild
Community Center. Contractors were scheduled to break ground but no
one had committed to cap the nearly 30 ft natural well on the
amphitheater site which had to be done before construction could
begin.

Being the practical man that he was, Robert contacted some friends
among the Idyllwild locals who volunteered to cap the well with him.
That day was scheduled for Easter weekend. I showed up with my
tractor. I asked Robert where everyone else was. He replied ‘That’s
how things work around here.’ It was just the two of us. When no one
else could do it, Robert took the lead. His can-do attitude and love
for the community laid the foundation for that project, all the while
looking at the comical side of life and turning an impossible
situation into a memorable weekend.’

Annie W. writes: “I only knew Robert somewhat casually. We were
parents of children in the same grade. He was Ryan’s dad, and I was
Lindsay’s mom, our titles for the first 20 years of our children’s
lives. We also shared friendships with other people. He was always
smiling and happy. The thing I remember about him most was that he was
kind, so kind. He seemed to be very gentle, and he loved his kids so
much.  He was my “friend,” but I didn’t spend any real time with him,
unfortunately. Every time I saw him, he would greet me and everyone
else with warmth and friendliness. That is an unusual trait these
days – to greet everyone with kindness and warmth and sincerity and
look into their eyes and make them feel seen. What a gift!”

There were and are so many in our community that have stories about
Robert. I could write a book. He touched each and every one with his
kindness and compassion.

He leaves behind an entire community as well as a family that he was
devoted to: his four sons – Jordan, Brennen, Ryan, and Wyatt; his two
step-daughters – Erin and Evynne; four grandchildren – Kate, Archana,
Jayden, and Payton; three great grandchildren – Kohen, Karter, and
Kennedi; and brothers and sisters – he was second oldest in a family of
seven boys and three girls.

Ours was a family that blended so well he would often say how blessed we
were. And we were. We are so blessed to have shared time on this planet
with you, Robert. We miss you and we love you, always. Till we meet
again, All My Love, Em.