I'm not sure where to start, when it comes to sharing about Bob. For as long as I can remember, he has been a fixture in my life. My Dad and Bob have shown me, by example, what a true friendship is. Loyalty, respect, humility, resilience, humor, dedication - all words I could use to describe their friendship. Though time changes people, their friendship never wavered. Their loyalty to each other, and to their families is a true testament of the unconditional love, respect and support they shared. Stories of their experiences together were sprinkled throughout my life and still are. I fondly remember my gram asking "how is Bobby?" each time we were visiting. That question would always be followed up by some story of the two of them, or their crew of friends causing some sort of trouble (good trouble, of course) and would always end with my gram's giant smile and laugh - you could always tell how much she loved and respected him. He was part of the family. One of my favorite things to do with my Dad is to sort through old photos and, often, we would become fixated on photos of Philmont. My Dad LOVES telling stories about scouting - and I love hearing them. I think one of the biggest takeaways from Bob and my Dad's friendship is that they stayed friends through every single pivotal moment in life. I think that's rare. They were lucky, but they worked at their friendship - making plans to meet up at the river, get their families together, talk or text on the phone. It all always meant something to them. And so, it meant something to us.

Spending time with Bob, Becky and the girls are some of my best memories from childhood. I believe it was important to Bob and my Dad for their families to know and love each other. I'll never forget telling knock knock jokes with Bethany and pretending Brooke and Brittany were my little sisters. Becky, you always made us feel part of your family, you still do. Whether it was at a twins festival in Twinsburg, Ohio or at my Dad and Bob’s favorite place, the river – we made memories together, that I will appreciate forever.

When my Dad and Toni got married in New Orleans, Bob pulled my sister and I aside. We were awkward pre/teenagers at the time so you can imagine what we thought - we could barely form a sentence. Bob told us that no matter what, he would be there for us. No questions asked. If we needed anything, we were to call him or Becky. An adult, outside of my immediate family, had never really said that to me before. I will never forget his sincerity and will never forget that I knew he really did mean it. Throughout the years, I would call or text him about random things. He always got back to me, no matter what. With advice, insight, or some very rational (obvious) thought that I hadn't thought of yet. Most recently, he encouraged me before an interview with an organization he was familiar with. I think Bob really thought my sister and I could do anything, that's the way he spoke to us and treated us. Bob invested in getting to know us, as we grew up, and his emails always made me smile. Whether they were his beautiful photos or a semi-inappropriate joke my Dad forwarded me.

Throughout my life, I've tried to be more like Bob. He and my Dad both have a knack for being a quiet presence, lifelong learners, and subtle funny people. I’ll always remember Bob’s laugh, his dedication to family, his passion for all things outdoors, the unlimited and vast knowledge he had and shared (without any ego, at all), and how happy he looked at the river, with his family. Bob was grateful for what he had. He was proud of his family and loved talking about them. It was easy for him, to share the way he felt about the people he loved. At the river, Bob and my Dad always made me feel apart of their dynamic, their adventures and their conversations. Most recently, they shared a weekend with my son, Jack. I could tell that Jack felt the same.

Bob was a gift to all that were lucky enough to know him. I’ll never forget him and I’ll always be searching for a friend like Bob was to my Dad. I love you, Bob.