Robert and Adrienne Westerbeck

The story of Robert Westerbeck and his wife, Adrienne, is rooted in the PCC tradition of a fervent belief in education as the way to realize the American Dream. Westerbeck, who died in 2006, often credited his success to the education he received at PCC. Adrienne, who died in 2010 at the age of 103, taught organ and piano at PCC until her retirement in 1971.

For both, PCC was part of a lifetime of service to their community.

After Westerbeck graduated from PJC, he worked for Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank and later for Perkin-Elmer Corporation, another engineering firm then located in Pasadena. Westerbeck was a very tall, distinguished and friendly man with many interests. He played varsity basketball while at PJC and excelled in nearly every sport he attempted, including archery, golf, and cycling. His interests also included music, which led him to meet the love of his life, Adrienne.

In addition to teaching music at PCC, Adrienne gave private piano and organ lessons at Waltrip’s Music Company in Altadena and from her home. Westerbeck met Adrienne when he first took lessons from her, leading to a lifelong romance. The two were married for nearly 50 years until Bob’s passing in 2006.

Adrienne attended the University of Southern California and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music, as well as a master’s degree in education. After Westerbeck’s passing, Adrienne continued to play the organ on Sundays and Wednesdays at the Christian Science Church in Los Feliz. She passed away on April 3, 2010, just shy of her 104th birthday.