Bob Waldmire, 1945-2009: Artist lived his life on Route 66

[sabra]

Source: Chicago Trib


'Last of the original hippies' was inspiration for 'Cars' character

Out there on Route 66, among the desert rats and yodelers, bluegrass musicians and storekeepers, artist Bob Waldmire found a home in a life that defied settling down.

For some 40 years, he lived the Mother Road's itinerant ideal, defined its congenial ethos and, say Route 66 aficionados still learning of his death, left a body of art as iconic as the route that inspired it.

Mr. Waldmire, 64, the restless illustrator who created a wealth of emblematic images of Route 66, surpassed only by the extensive network of friendships forged along its shoulders, diner counters and rest stops, ran out of road Wednesday, Dec. 16, in a bedroom of his brother's farmhouse in Rochester, Ill. The cause was abdominal cancer, his brother Bill said.

Mr. Waldmire's friend Michael Wallis, the Route 66 author, likened the illustrator to "the Johnny Appleseed of the Mother Road." Jim Conkle, who helped engineer the route's resurgence with counsel and encouragement from Mr. Waldmire, called him "a legend." Talking to a reporter for a Tribune story that ran a month before his death, Mr. Waldmire called himself a "lovable cuss."

...

His memorial will be held from noon until 2 p.m. Sunday in the Wilson Park Funeral Home in Rochester. He will be cremated. Half the ashes will be buried beside his parents' in Rochester. In accordance with his written instructions, the other half will go to friends. He asked them to scatter them along Route 66.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-obit-waldmire_18dec18,0,4792196.story

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Here he is in character --

What a life he led! Totally original, totally cool.

[msanthrope]

3. "Get a carwash, Hippie!" I loved Fillmore and his organic gas! RIP n/t

[mike_c]

2. RIP Bob-- he's my retirement dream, LOL....

[Marthian]

5. RIP

gentle person. Thanks for the inspiration and example, Bob. Cheers.

[juno jones]

4. OMG!

I'm saddened to hear this.

He is an aquaintance of mine, a friend of my friends back in Springfield, IL. He seemed to be a great guy, I loved his art and back in the 90's he had the coolest bus conversion I've ever seen. His family owned the 'Cozy Dog' in Spfld, IL, the original home of the corn dog (although to compare a cozy dog to a generic corn dog is to compare a daVinci to a Keene...)

He was also a staunch liberal and (at least regionally) a living legend.

RIP.

[icymist]

6. I knew Bob when I lived in Rochester.

I am saddened to hear of this. Bob was a very kind, peaceful man, so full of life and very happy with what he was doing. He will be missed.