Robert Gielow

Robert Andrew Gielow was born on August 18, 1919 in Chicago, Illinois to Walter and Evangeline Gielow. From an early age, Bob's parents impressed upon him the value of public service, most notably through the family's lifetime involvement with Chicago's Erie Neighborhood House. After graduating from Lake View High School at age 16, Bob attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. During the Second World War, Bob served in the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander of a minesweeper and later as Port Director in Honolulu, Hawaii. When his father fell ill, he returned to Chicago to take over the family insurance business, Cloidt, Gielow and Dudley. He subsequently met and married his wife, Nancy, and moved to Glencoe, a northern suburb of Chicago. Robert was an active member of the Glencoe community, where he served as a member and president of the school board, attended Glencoe Union Church, and sailed at the Sheridan Shore Yacht Club. He was also an avid downhill skier, a tennis and handball player, and an accordion aficionado. Many of Bob's good friends hailed from his association with Castle Park, Michigan where the family spent many summer vacations. During the 1950s, Bob and Nancy had three children, Stephen, of Redwood City, CA, Marion (Fernando Hernandez) Gielow of Chicago, IL, and John (Dianna Dentino) Gielow of Wauwatosa, WI. During the 1960s he became active in the Civil Rights Movement through his involvement with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1969 his insurance company merged with Alexander and Alexander (now Aon Corporation), where he held numerous executive leadership positions. One of these positions was the head of the Anistics team where Robert was instrumental in pioneering the use of computers to analyze risk for large companies, thereby leading to the birth of "self insurance." Upon retiring from A&A, President Ronald Reagan appointed Bob as the Chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board, where he served a five-year term. During retirement, he continued to enjoy an active lifestyle as a grandparent of four grandchildren, Robert & Matthew Hernandez and D'Laney & Tieg Gielow. He continued practicing the accordion, playing tennis, and traveling into his nineties. After the death of his wife, Nancy, in late 2006, he became re-acquainted with Elizabeth Bryan, whom he had known through his association with the Erie Neighborhood House decades earlier. Betty's tireless devotion and care during Bob's final years made his life abundant until the end. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend, community member, and a true gentleman in every sense of the word. With a deep understanding of the importance of social compassion and an early advocate of civil rights, he was always a proponent of fairness. He blessed the lives of all who knew him and left the world a better place than he found it. A memorial Service will be held Sunday, February 10 at 3:00 pm at the Glencoe Union Church - 263 Park Avenue, Glencoe. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Erie Neighborhood House - 1701 W. Superior, Chicago, IL 60622 - are greatly appreciated.