This past Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008 saw the unfortunate and sudden passing of
a true friend and Butler Bulldog, Bob Dearing. A Butler graduate of the
class of 1957, Bulldog Bob was as fine of a guy as they come.

He
was one of my biggest fans and always made a point to read each one of
my blog posts…probably read them twice to be honest! Bulldog Bob was
always happy to see me and I was always happy to return the favor when
I saw him.

Reading Bob’s obituary, it’s easy to see just how involved and successful he was. In addition to all of the things listed in the obituary, Bob also helped me out each year as a judge for the annual Bulldog Beauty Contest…Bob knew bulldogs!

But
beyond all of the accolades and accomplishments was one of the most
affable and vivacious characters you’ll ever know. Bulldog Bob’s great
character will not soon be lost on any of us that knew him. It is a
great loss for our beloved university, but Butler is a better
institution for having Bulldog Bob in the family.

Being that Bob
bled Butler Bulldog blue when it came to Butler Athletics, it wasn’t
surprising that the men’s basketball team captured a victory on Saturday at Drake University in their regular season opener and it was announced today that the men’s cross country team earned a bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country Championships.

I’m sure Bob had a little hand in those successes and I can just see him now, smiling at more Butler Bulldog triumphs.

I’m
sad that you’re now gone, but I’ve taken a bit of solace in knowing
that you’re now in an even better place, after all it’s well known that
all bulldogs go to heaven. I’ll miss you, Bulldog Bob, but I’ll never
forget you!

Your friend and fellow bulldog,

Blue II