Robert Allen "Bob" Cruikshank

1938 - 2018

From Ice Cream to Iron

Robert "Bob" Allen Cruikshank, 79, died peacefully Saturday afternoon, April 14, 2018. Bob was preceded in death by his father, Jim in 1986; brother, Jim in 2001; sister, Jean Willingham in 2001; and mother, Lila in 2013. Surviving are his wife, Wydeen; sons, Allen (spouse, Kristy), Chris (spouse, Anne) and Kevin; daughter, Sabrina Sailors (spouse, Lanier); and grandchildren, Nicole, James, Hailey and Hannah.

Bob was born in Lynwood, California on October 24, 1938. The family moved to Georgia so his father could pursue the development and building of Dairy Queen stores throughout the state. Bob attended North Fulton High School where he excelled in several sports, football, track and swimming, and assumed leadership roles as a Boy's Club member and student body positions every year including President of his senior class. He attended Duke University where he continued playing football until a serious burn injury kept him from playing.

Bob came home to help his father with the Dairy Queen business and became an integral part of growing it to become International Dairy Queen. Bob worked his way to become president of the company. The work was rewarding but endless requiring travel well over 300 days per year. The business was taken public, sold and moved to Minnesota where Bob moved the family for four years to provide continuity for the company.

With the job done, he moved the family back to Atlanta and purchased the local John Deere construction equipment dealership. From ice cream to iron, he could now grow a new business and have time with family. Bob transformed the new company, Metropolitan Tractor Company, into what became the poster dealership for Deere. He christened a state of the art building that was largest dealer facility in the industry at the time. He expanded to six locations serving customers well outside the metro area prompting the company to change the name to METRAC. Bob founded the Southeast Dealers Association and served on numerous Deere council committees.

Bob was someone who never met a stranger. He was generous with his time and resources and always had a way of making anyone feel good. He was an avid golfer and loved to fish, and it was the camaraderie as much as the sport that he loved. Bob enjoyed membership at Atlanta Country Club, Capital City Club and Highlands Country Club where he would spend time in the company of friends. He was part of the vision to bring a PGA tournament to Atlanta and was honored to serve as Tournament Director of the Atlanta Golf Classic and then President of its Foundation. Bob cherished his membership with the Homosassa Fishing Club where he served as director and enjoyed many fishing trips to Florida. As a North Fulton grad, he looked forward to playing a key role in directing The Buckhead Boys annual reunion and fundraiser.

Bob will be missed by all of the family, his close friends, and everyone that he met. Memorial services celebrating Bob's life will be held Thursday, the 19th of April at eleven o'clock at St. John United Methodist Church, 550 Mt. Paran Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30327. The family prefers that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to The National Kidney Foundation or American Cancer Society. Friends are cordially invited to visit with the family Wednesday evening from five until eight o'clock at H. M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road, NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. A burial service will take place Saturday afternoon at three o'clock at Arlington Memorial Park. Cruikshank, Robert Allen "Bob"