American sound mixer Robert Alan 'Bob' Minkler, who won a 1978 Oscar for best sound on "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope", has died of respiratory failure. He was 78.
Minkler passed away on October 11 at home in Oregon with his wife Patty at his side, said The Hollywood Reporter.
In a Hollywood career that spanned 20 years, he worked on such films as "The Black Stallion", "Easy Rider", "Bull Durham", "Mask", "Urban Cowboy", "Rocky II", "Hair" and "Tron", for which he was Oscar-nominated along with his brother Lee Minkler and his nephew, three-time Academy winner Michael Minkler.
His filmography consists over 50 movies between 1957 and 1992.
Born in 1937 in Glendale, California, to audio pioneer Lee Darrell Minkler and Lorraine Jones Minkler, the sound engineer spent many years as a musician and vocalist, even touring with Nat King Cole.
He then found his way back to Hollywood and began his film career working alongside his brothers Donald and Lee.
Surviving family members include sons Marcus, Daniel and Christian; and grandchildren Michael, Mia, Jacob, Matthew, Kyle and Brooke.
Private services will be held in Hawaii.
