Folks Of Interest I miss Bob K...

I miss Bob K too, even though I was never fortunate enough to have met him, I loved reading his threads and all the good things folks have said about him. What a person!

This is one of my favorite HAMB threads. It's a picker upper for sure;

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/bob-klessig.1112291/

I've read it quite often as of late. I lost my Dad a couple of months ago. Ironically his name was Bob K also and he was also an affable, gregarious old school Gent with a great sense of humor. Miss him like crazy.

2020 has been tough sledding for me and it's real easy for my attitude to get off course dealing with things lately. I keep that in check by knowing my Dad wouldn't let me "go there" and I'm sure Bob Klessig wouldn't either.
Everyone would do good to take a page from Bob K's book and live it.

 

When things go off the rails you gotta ask yourself...

 

^^^Where can I get one?

 

If you never met Bob K (I didn't) and you don't check the date on his threads, it's as if he is still with us and the posts are in real time. Great loss, Great legacy. Thank you.

 

Bob would usually stay in Ogden on his way to Bonneville and we would meet up for breakfast.
Even though this was usually just once a year, the waitresses at the restaurant would always remember Bob,
he had that kind of personality.
Here's a pic of Bob & Peter Carpenter (Carps) before our breakfast on their way to Bonneville in 2007.
I really miss seeing Carps on here as well.

Mick

 

Similar Bob K encounter as you all. I reached out to him for advice on 4 bbl carb on a 6 cylinder Chevy. Of course, he shared his knowledge and wisdom. Made it a point to thank him in person when I saw him at Des Moines Marriott parking lot for GoodGuys. Then when ever I would see him at Salina or Back to the 50's, we would easily fall into a conversation.

Thank @Moriarity for posting the link to the Alaska trip. I was rarely on the HAMB in '13 due to my really bad internet access. I missed the whole thing, but got to go thru it this evening and clicked the likes as suggested. I knew about the trip only because I got to talk with Bob in St Paul BTT50's. I was shocked to see the '52 in blackwalls, he explained he and Maggie's upcoming trip.

Yep, miss him like you all do.

 

I was really happy to see this post on the Jalopy Journal. Thanks for posting that, @Jive-Bomber . It's also fun to read everybody's thoughts and memories of Bob. I know that I sure do miss him. I think of him quite often. As a lot of people have mentioned already, he was a great ambassador for our hobby, but more than that he was an amazing person. It wasn't that he was just nice to people, but he actively tried to make everyone feel welcome, included, and important. I don't know how the man could retain so many names, faces, and details of those people; And on top of all that car info he possessed!

I think I first met Bob K at the Street Rod Nationals in Louisville sometime between 2003 and 2005. I love hanging out with, and catching up with everyone at car events, but I always get a little social anxiety whenever I see anybody that I haven't seen in a while. BobK was one of the few people who's personality and demeanor always made me feel at ease, right off the bat.

One of the coolest things about BobK was that I would see him at my own house (in Bethalto, IL and St. Louis, MO) just as often as I would see him at hot rod events. He would usually stop by at least once a year while passing through the area. Sometimes, he would stop for the night and rest up for the next day of his long drive to wherever he was headed, sometimes he and Maggie would just stay for lunch or dinner and get back on the road, and sometimes he would show up out of the blue, stretch his legs, chat with us, and look at our projects in the shop, then be on his way. But no matter if it was a planned stop that I knew about, or a surprise when we heard his 'vette, or the exhaust of that 6 cylinder pull into the driveway, it was always a treat! I'm sure there are a great amount of people who have had similar experiences, and that is so cool!

BobK was one of the best role models, and I hope that I am able to be even a little bit like him in the way that he loved life and in the way that he made people feel. Here are some pictures I took of Bob and his cars over the years.

BethaltoVisit2011 (3) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:20 AM

HAMB Drags09-2 by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:16 AM

HAMB Drags09 by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:16 AM

HCPU2010 (4) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:16 AM

HCPU2010 (2) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:16 AM

HCPU 2010 by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:16 AM

St. Louis Visit by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:16 AM

HAMB Drags05 by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:20 AM

BethaltoVisit2011 (6) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:20 AM

Bethalto Visit 2014 (11) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:21 AM

Bethalto Visit 2014 (18) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:21 AM

Bethalto Visit 2014 (27) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:21 AM

Bethalto Visit 2014 (28) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:21 AM

Bethalto Visit 2014 (33) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:20 AM

Bethalto Visit 2014 (6) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:21 AM

Bethalto Visit 2014 (9) by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:21 AM

Autorama08 by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:23 AM

Autorama09 by Nick32vic posted Dec 12, 2020 at 11:23 AM

 

Feel lucky to have his bumper car sign hanging in my shop, its always a reminder of Bob

I feel lucky that i got to spend time with him and call him a friend

Still got a handful of 'What would Bob K do stickers if anyone needs some.

 

I first met Bob in the early 90's in the host hotel parking lot at Nats North. He was entertaining everyone with his Lena and Ollie jokes. Would get together with him there every year after that until he quit coming probably 10 years ago.
The best time spent with him was when he was my co-pilot in 06 when I did R&C's Ego-Rama. I had a super enjoyable time. Besides all that R&C had arranged, Leno's, Coddington's, etc. Bob had arranged some meets with people such as, Loud Pedal in Salt lake, Joe Bailon, Bluto, what a collection and stories he had, Dick Dean, Gene Winfield. It was almost 3 weeks of pure enjoyment.
How many here remember his picture of ice fishing at Bonneville? How about his travels with Mr Bones?

 

Bob handed off Mister Bones to me. I had some fun with it and handed it off to somebody else. Soon it just seemed to disappear. When Bob was in the area I'd put him up for the night.
Ran into Bob at Bonneville speed week. He introduced me to Tex Smith and Ron Ceridono. Bob always went out of his way to make a guy feel bigger and more important. That's just how he rolled.

 

Seen in Cobo Basement Feb 2020

 

Des moines 2004.





Bob, Bonnevile 2008, HAMBing it up for the camera...

 

Cool photos...

 

One of my favs!

Sent from my SM-G950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

My beautiful wife and I met Bob at the "Hot Rod CHASSIS AND CYCLE" garage sale YEARS ago. He never met us before but was as friendly as all get out, almost like he had known us all his life . You can go thru life and never meet a person as nice and outgoing as Bob, he is a human that I personally rank right at the top of my list of outstanding individuals. Our world needs more of him, many many more. Mitch.

 

I had known Bob for several years, we all miss him. He still lives on because legends never die...