Bob Fey, Palm Springs development pioneer, dies at 79
Robert Fey, a Palm Springs real estate and tribal land-lease pioneer, died Friday at 79. Together with his father, Roy, Fey helped kickstart the use of tribal land from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians for residential real estate development.
Much of Palm Springs sits on tribal land under such land-lease agreements, highlighting the critical role Fey’s work played in the growth of the city.
In addition to his development work, Fey founded the Bank of Palm Springs — since bought by Union Bank of California — and helped build the Temple Isaiah synagogue in Palm Springs.
“He saw a need and he found a way to fill it,” said Julie Fey-Clark, Fey’s daughter. She said that mindset was a central theme running through her father’s life, from filling the demand for more housing in Palm Springs to filling needs in the community through his work with nonprofit organizations such as Palm Springs’ Mizell Center, Neuro Vitality Center and Temple Isaiah.
Born in Chicago, Fey came to the Coachella Valley in the 1950s with his father, who worked in real estate development. Over subsequent years, the pair worked with the Agua Caliente tribe to develop residential real estate on their land — which is spread throughout the western Coachella Valley like a checkerboard — under then-new laws that permitted the long-term leasing of such lands for development.
Their company built iconic Palm Springs communities such as Canyon Estates and Canyon View Estates, moves which Palm Springs socialite and real estate broker Nelda Linsk said set the stage for the flourishing of the area’s mid-century modern architecture.
“He was one of the original mid-century builders,” Linsk said.
Linsk, who knew Fey for more than 50 years, described him as generous with his time and always ready to help friends and other members of the community when they had tribal land-lease-related issues or questions — an area of expertise he built through his development work.
“He would just drop everything and help you,” Linsk said. “He was a great guy. I’m just so sorry he’s gone.”
Fey gradually stepped back from his real estate businesses in recent years, according to Fey-Clark, to focus on philanthropic endeavors such as his work with the Neuro Vitality Center and Temple Isaiah, where he served twice as president.
Over that period, Fey-Clark assumed leadership of Fey’s real estate business, Fey’s Canyon Realtors and his land-lease management services business, Fey Canyon Financial Services.
In addition to Fey-Clark, Fey is survived by his wife, Cheryl, his daughter Robin Rosado, his sister, Barbara Aliza, and three grandchildren, Tommy Clark and Sofia and Daniel Rosado.
His funeral will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Temple Isaiah, followed by a meal of condolence in the temple’s ballroom.
James B. Cutchin covers business in the Coachella Valley. Reach him at james.cutchin@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Bob Fey, Palm Springs development pioneer, dies at 79
