On January 16, “Uncle Bob” passed away, not long after he returned to Florida following a Christmas visit to Clovis. We’ll all remember him as a most interesting and unique character-- and caring son, brother, uncle, father, grandfather, cousin, and brother-in-law. I will surely miss Bob, my very special brother, friend, confidant, and e-mail companion.
Over the past 76 years, Bob had many --and varied-- interests and areas of “expertise,” always insisting on taking charge in each and every event. To highlight a few notes:
He was a police officer on the Midlothian, Illinois police force… and therefore an authority on all matters of law and order.
He received a diploma from the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago and was thus a licensed embalmer and funeral director. This led to an extensive knowledge of mid-western burial protocol-- plus a job with the James Hickey Funeral Home in Midlothian and a longtime friendship with Bob Hickey and family.
He visited us in New Orleans, coming for a two-day look-see of Mardi Gras parades... He stayed for two weeks on our living room couch (or was it two months!). Of course, he was studying all the time, perhaps about Louisiana burial procedures?
He graduated from the Great Lakes Naval Station and was then based at the US Submarine facility in New London, Connecticut. This, of course, made him an authority on international nuclear submarine warfare, or was it deck swabbing and paint jobs for those three years?
He drove an ambulance at one point and had his own ambulance company for a short time, thus making him an expert on emergency medicine and patient-transports in difficult situations.
He was a cross-country trucker for several years. Did he ever tell you the tale about losing his air conditioning on a hot day in Oregon --and the resulting stench of rotting onions?
He sold and delivered caskets in Fresno for a short period. Broke his arm when he rolled the truck-- and spent three months recuperating --on our family room couch.
He lived on a houseboat in North Carolina while selling Hoosier racing tires, cementing a lifelong love of cars and NASCAR.
He served on NASCAR driver Dick Trickle’s racing team, a very special time in his life.
He began his working career with a Fresno Bee paper route, which evolved into a lifelong love of journalism. In recent years, when I’d head to the computer every evening, I’d find Bob’s multiple emails, giving me links to The Fresno Bee, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Times, the Indianapolis Star, and the Kokomo Tribune. I’ll miss those emails!
And we’ll all miss Bob… But I can picture him now, sitting on a heavenly COUCH with Chas and Nana, reviewing Chicago Cub news and critiquing their new stadium plans.
Lastly, I would give St. Peter a word of warning: Watch out for your job—as Bob Brennan loves to take charge in any kind of situation-- and he just might apply for your position!
---- Eleanor
