Robert D. Ylvisaker

I met Bob In Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1957.

He was working as Sports Editor for the Cedar Rapids Gazzette. I had come to Cedar Rapids to work in a dairy laboratory. In addition to living at the Y, We teamed up in choosing television programs in the Y lobby.

Another acquaintance Walter Englebrecht was a fellow TV watcher and channel changer voter. This was high tech then.

We all went to First Lutheran in Cedar Rapids. I formed a single adults club. I met my wife Jennylee there.

Eventually the three of us Wally, Bob and I moved to an apartment over a bank and restaurant owned by two men who also went to First Lutheran.

Wally's family was heavy into the Seminary in Wartburg. His father was president of a Lutheran District in Illinois.

We had a comfortable life until we dissolved the singles club by most of us getting married with members of the group.

Bob and Wally were part of my wedding party.

We never lost track of each other. Bob was the kind of person you kept as a friend for life. Our lives crossed in many ways, but mostly from a call now and then and when visiting Minnapolis for a lunch together.

I will miss Bob. He was a model of integrity and kindness quietly expressed with action not just words.

Wally passed away last summer in Des Moines, Iowa.

Life blessed us all. In Bob's case he was blessing others with his kindness and caring actions for those in the church, and those the church served.

I am proud to tell my grandson Tyler that where he stayed at Luther was named after a family member of a good friend of mine.

Tyler Dryg won a Fulbright to study ancient Greek Scrolls at a convent in Germany. He is now a Dean's fellow teaching History at the University of Iowa.

The name Ylvisaker will mean something to both of us for the rest of our lives.

Working with Bob for many, many years at SELL Publishing was an inspiration. He exemplified kindness and decency. He made our world a better place.

A true friend and college room-mate who always inspired me to better. Blessings, Sheldon Hermanson

An inspiring InnerCity Tennis volunteer who learned to play tennis with his left hand and kept us all in good spirits.