Bob is a relative new comer to St. Andrews. 2 years ago he started coming with his daughter Janie, but he wasn’t always an Episcopalian. He grew up in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and was raised Roman Catholic. He was, as he puts it, “kidnapped into the Episcopal Church”, when he married the daughter of an Episcopal priest.
He moved to Chicago in 1967. Before the move, he was the editor of a newspaper in Milwaukee. After the move, he was working as a public relations counselor in the Windy City. That lasted for over 30 years, and proved a career that Bob enjoyed and was well suited for.
Bob has a deep faith but he certainly doesn’t play it close to his vest. After reluctantly joining St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Riverside in 1968, he sang in the choir, was a lector, an acolyte, and was even a member of the vestry. In 1978 he began a 25-year stint with the Ecumenical Cursillo Community of Illinois. He helped run their retreats, including one in Northern Ireland that had a profound impact on him.
Bob’s piercing blue eyes, ready smile, and his willingness to share his faith, are truly inspirational.