It is with a VERY great sadness I share the news we just lost one of the 6 founders of CB&Q H.S. nee BRHS, the premier Q china collector but more importantly my closest freind, Bob Stanage. (he passed away early yesterday of an appartent heart attack) Ginny & I met Bob & his then wife Kay in 1976 at the NMRA National Convention. From that meeting and with the encouragement of Bill Glick, Dennis Popish, the late Jack Karnes et al, CB&Q His. Soc. was born. FAR more importantly Bob became our family's closest friend. That's a word that is often used but seldom lived - a real "friend". (for 37 years) Bob was at our children's graduations, made numerous road trips with me to meets as well as plain old Q railfanning, shared Christmases, etc. He missed the last 2 meets but some of you will recall one of the finest clinics BRHS has ever had; his presentation on Burlington china. Bob was a U.S. Navy vet(with his other good CB&Q friend, the late Roger Tea), a one-time St. Paul. MN fireman before marrying, former Caterpillar Sales Engineer, then with Kumatsu & later installing solar signals on the AT&SF for a RR supplier. For the past several yrs he was living in Omaha working at Swanson Towers. (his late Mother and his sister also are Omahans). Bob was a Senior DeMolay, the VERY proud father of Rob, an Air Force Academy grad & current USAF Attorney (JAG) and Tod, the successful owner of several martial arts studios - both boys & their families in Georgia. I will post funeral arrangements later today: tentatively Thursday at the Presbyterian church in Elk Horn, NE. Many of you met Bob, as he either hung around my table at meets or walked up & down the aisles greeting old Q acquaintances & making new ones. NO one in my lifetime exhibited more of what it means to be a friend than Bob. I am posting a photo taken at the West Chicago meet in 2010 - I have many more but this one shows his classic smile. It was his encouragement with Bill & Dennis' that conceived and made this group happen.
May the Lord keep Bob's family in his arms AND remind each of us what it truly means to be a 'friend'. I miss you Bob...... (and feel badly my words are not doing you justice)