Obituary of Robert "Bob" Thorne

As Bob would put it -- he was a boy from Puerto Rico who lived the American Dream

and accomplished so much in his long lifetime of 97 years.

Born to a Mother from Puerto Rico and a Father from Sweden - Bob grew up in

New York City & enlisted to the USNavy in WW2 & had the position of a flight

photographer on an aircraft carrier. Wanting to stay with planes, he started with

TransCaribbean Airlines out of Puerto Rico, and proceeded to become the first

employee of Iberia Airlines to open up their US business.

His next adventure was being hired by the Air America, the CIA airline, as Station

Manager for their Laos operation at the start of the Viet Nam War.j This was the

adventure of a lifetime. After several years there, he returned to the States and

continued his airline career by joining Caribair in Puerto Rico as Director of Sales.

And from there to Resident Sales Manager of the El San Juan Hotel.

Finally, after a varied career in both the airline & hotel industries, he started his

own business called Inter Island Tours & was a wholesaler for the Caribbean

working with both TWA & American Airlines.  In 2005, he merged the company

with CheapCaribbean.com  - a start-up internet travel company and the rest

is history. CheapCaribbean merged with Apple Leisure Group which was

eventually bought out by Mitt Romney's Bain Capital, then sold to KKR,

and last year became a part of the Hyatt Hotel Chain.

Thru these years, his son Greg and daughter Jan moved along with the flow.

His first wife Barbara died & he married Marilyn in 1985 who worked with him

in their travel business.

Bob's enthusiasm for life, warm personality and love of the travel industry

was, as he always said, the American Dream fulfilled. And dearly admired &

loved by family and friends around the world.

Speedy Travel Bob on your next journey to the Blue Beyond!!