Tom Moore on his friend Bob Pell

By TOM MOORE

Bob Pell.

A tall and lankly, string bean of a fellow (he reminded me of that country comic named “String bean.”

I of course knew Bob on the job… an outgoing pleasant fellow who always spoke as I would pass the machine he was operating.

You might say during the working days, ours was a nodding acquaintance…but after retirement, sitting with him at the retiree lunches, we hillbillies hit it off and became good friends.

When I owned a Subaru, I would take it to Bishop Motors in Wadsworth for service. I’d get there at 8 in the morning and Bob would be waiting in his pickup and we’d have breakfast together…many, many times.

I had purchased my first digital camera and had brought it to a luncheon. Bob liked it so well, he bought one similar. And he used it, sharing duties of taking photos of BJ retirees.

Bob made great use of his computer….I was always getting great jokes from. I tried to return the favor.

He loved to travel and he’d send me the photos he took and I’d post them on the website I had.

We had a fun time when the new blimp was rolled out at Wingfoot Lake. He picked me up that morning and we drove to the area and then boarded a bus.

All that morning we roamed the hangar area, getting photos of the new blimp and her three sisters.

I’ve always felt a kinship with the printers—and more so with Bob. Maybe that comes from spending so much time in the composing room as makeup editor.

You could never associate with a greater bunch of folks -- and Bob was right at the top of the list.