He served in the Navy Reserve during the Korean War, stationed in Marshall Islands on Kwajalein.
As a young man he worked for a grocery, then later worked in communications for 28 years, then retired in 1985.
He saw to the health and care of his parents in their late 80’s when they no longer could manage on their own at home.
He attended Military School - Black Fox for 2 years 8th and 9th grades - graduated for University High.
(He was a part-time student his senior year due to needing only a few credits to graduate).
As a teenager (in the late 40’s) he was an amateur photographer - rolled his own film.
- His father built an extra room on the house for him to use as a dark room.
- A neighbor at the time (the Head Cutter at Paramount Studios) gave him unused film, so Bob developed and printed his own pictures.
- He worked for his dad in the real estate office as a relief switch board operator, and looked up vacant lots and addresses of owners for his dad to send out notices to buy or sell vacant lots.
- His dad would always treat him to lunch at “The Chatam” or “Apple Pan” Restaurants.
- He had a dog - Brownie (Schnauzer pup) he found wandering the street and “followed him home” (Bob pulling him along). His dad put an ad in the paper, a “painter” called, the pup got out of his truck, he was damaging his paint brushes. Bob’s dad asked if he could buy the dog for Bob, but the “painter” just gave the dog to them – but with NO PAPERS – just to be a “pet” – not a show dog was the only requirement.
In the Navy - he trained for a “Storeman” in Rhode Island.
He never graduated with his class but he played in the band for many graduations.
- In Military school (middle school) he had measles/mumps.
- Senior graduation - he was on vacation with his mother to visit her mother and relatives in Ohio.
Bob was a very intelligent person.
- He was a complex person, he was very easy going, humorous and fun upon first meeting him, but as you got to know him the deeper layers of his personality became more evident.
- He was generous with his time and assets to those he feels are in true need of them, but was impatient when he finds a person could well do for himself if he just took the initiative.
- Was neat and very organized.
- A great record keeper.
- He would attack any new project with thoroughness and precision.
He had a great sense of humor and an instant retort for any comment and uncanny ability to remember and categorize things, almost instant recall.
- He could be very stubborn and insistent when he thinks he is right.
- He liked to have everything planned out ahead of time and then have all the necessary items on hand to start and complete a project.
- He could quickly analyze a situation and come up with a good sound solution.
- He was always a loving and supportive husband, affectionate and helpful, married 50 years to Gertrude (Trudy).
- He enjoyed traveling by car and train thought the United States - sightseeing and always trying the local food specialties – not interested in foreign travel.
- His favorite places as a youngster was spending his summers at Lake Arrowhead where his parents had a cabin built in the late 30’s, sold during the war, only to build another cabin in 1950 where he continued to enjoy swimming off the dock and water skinning on the lake when his dad had a boat.
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