Robert Vincent Strahan

Robert "Bob" Vincent Strahan Robert "Bob" Vincent Strahan, age 78, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, passed away November 29, 2014. His wife of 13 years, Betty Worthy Strahan, was by his side. Bob was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Helen Mary Osborne Strahan and Robert Barton Strahan in 1936. Bob was raised in Short Hills, NJ, and graduated from Millburn High School in 1954. He attended Yale University and graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering. Bob proactively raised money for Yale University following graduation and continued until earlier this year, an amazing track record of giving for over 50 years. Bob started his illustrious printing industry career in Hoboken, NJ, selling rotogravure printing cylinders. Within a year he took a sales position with Thiele-Engdahl Corp, a manufacturer of specialty printing inks and coatings primarily for the rotogravure printing process. Bob was later promoted to Vice President and General Manager, opening a new branch office for the company in Winston-Salem, NC. Bob eventually left Thiele-Engdahl in pursuit of his entrepreneurial dream to build his own printing ink manufacturing business. He relocated to Kingsport, TN, and in 1975 founded Strahan Ink & Lacquer, Corp. Over the next decade and a half, Bob, with the help of many dedicated and loyal employees, built Strahan Ink & Lacquer into a successful business with locations in Kingsport, TN, Cincinnati, OH, Richmond, VA, and Dallas, TX. In 1988, Bob sold a majority interest in his company to Chemische Fabrik Aarberg, AG and several years later he fully exited the business. Bob returned to his roots working for Thiele-Engdahl and several successor businesses including ICI Specialty Inks, Zeneca Group, Astra-Zeneca Corp. and finally Sun Chemical Group. Bob "retired" from Sun Chemical in 2000 and immediately co-founded The Source Alliance, an executive recruiting and consulting business. The Source Alliance specialized in the ink, packaging, and processed foods industries. Bob continued to work with The Source Alliance through 2012. Throughout his career, Bob devoted a great deal of time to promoting the printing industry. Bob served in virtually every executive position, on a number of committees, and as a board member for the Gravure Technical Association, the Gravure Association of America, and the Gravure Education Foundation. While Bob was instrumental in the early development of industry policy, his real interests were in furthering gravure education to support industry growth. Bob was the founding Trustee for the Gravure Education Foundation, which promoted industry-education partnerships and offered college scholarships, and continued his involvement as Trustee Emeritus for the remainder of his career. Bob's passions were sports, cooking, travel and cars. He was an avid golfer, tennis player, skier earlier in life, and a deep sea fisherman. Bob once landed a 625 lb. blue marlin off the coast of Hatteras, NC. His friends and family were all benefactors of his passion for cooking from which he earned the nickname "Chez Bob." A Finalist in the U.S. Chefs Open - Amateur Division in 1989, Bob pursued his passion for cooking within the Moss Creek community through the Gourmet, Healthy Gourmet, Casual Dining and Grillers Clubs. Bob also travelled extensively for business, often combining it with personal travel and later in life travelling extensively around the world with his wife, Betty. Bob pursued his passion for cars as a devoted volunteer to the Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance for the past 11 years and through his participation in the Lowcountry Oyster & Motorcar Driving Society. "Barrier Bob" was instrumental in expanding the Hutchinson Island Motoring Festival in Savannah, working with both The Westin, Savannah Harbor, and the Savannah Chamber of Commerce to re-launch racing on the island. Bob is survived by his wife, Betty Worthy Strahan, his daughter Sara Miles and her husband Steven and their children Amanda and Kathryn of Great Falls, VA, his son Douglas Strahan and his wife Diane and their children Justin and Vanessa of Great Falls, VA, and Betty's daughter Michele Munro and her husband John and their daughter Haley of Hilton Head Island, SC. A memorial service will be held on Saturday December 6, 2014 at 11 am at St. Andrew By-The-Sea United Methodist Church, 20 Pope Ave, Hilton Head Island, SC. A reception celebrating Bob's life will be held Saturday December 6, 2014 at 6:30 pm at The Clubhouse, Moss Creek Plantation, Hilton Head Island, SC. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to support Bob's passion for youth education: "Gravure Education Foundation, Robert V. Strahan Memorial Scholarship Fund" c/o Gravure Association of the Americas, 8281 Pine Lake Road, Denver, NC 28037.or "Driving Young America Fund, Community Foundation of the Low Country", PO Box 21733, Hilton Head Island, SC 29925. The Island Funeral Home and Crematory. www.theislandfuneralhome.com