Rob and I were best friends in early elementary school, Tatum. He lived on Potter Street at the time. I think it was in 6th grade when he moved to another part of town and went to Lizzy Haddon. We lost our bond, but I always remember Rob as my first best friend.
On many a Saturday morning Rob and I earned money washing cars behind Ade's Soda Fountain on Kings Highway. Rob was a perfectionist when it came to washing and cleaning a car inside and out. Ade was Rob's father, a great guy. Ade's cheeseburgers and real milk shakes were fabulous.
Rob did not have natural athletic talent and was really too nice to play football. However, he was the starting center on our 66 football team . He was not a physical guy, but knew how to position himself to perform a block. In fact Spice named the center's block on the old 51and 52 play up the middle after Rob. He called it the "Sauer Block"; you don't have to move the opposing lineman out, you just had to position yourself to keep the lineman from making the tackle.
Senior year Rob enlists me and Larry Fisher to do something totally out of character. It must have been the spring, near graduation. I can remember sneaking out my bedroom window in the middle of the night. Rob and Larry pick me. The plan was to apply grass/weed killer with a spreader on the football field in very large font to form "66". We were successful and so very proud of our bad boy's accomplishment.
Sorry that you could not stay with us longer Rob Sauer. You were one of the good guys.
Ah Ha, so you guys were the ones who did that. I love it. And I will never forget hanging out at Ade's. Every time I drive past that store front, I think about that place. Talk about the innocence of youth in our day. Milk shakes, let's see, how many hours on the elliptical would one of those babies be worth now?
Doug, great memories and well told. And to have a play named after you by Spice is no small achievement! All our "In Memory" classmates deserve to have their stories told, and it's up to us survivors to do it. My god, I did not realize Rob was lost in his early 20s. Thanks so much for bringing him back after all these years.
I remember Rob as a real nice guy. It's funny what memories stand out.
I went to Ade's a few times, a novel experience for me having grown up in a town without a main street or soda fountain. Ade was always friendly and showed up at all Rob's sporting events.
I remember Rob being annoyed because a football program listed him as "Saver"
For some reason I remember a few incidents relating to contact lenses. Although I was an early contact wearer, Rob had them already. On my first day at school wearing the lenses, Rob was the first person to notice how unnaturally I was holding my head and said something teasingly like,"Oh, I see you got contacts for Christmas."
When I asked him one day what contact lens solution he used, he told me he used Elmer's glue. (He was only kidding. Don't try this at home.)
Rob lost a contact during a football practice and Ade insisted he take a flashlight out to the field that night to try to find it. I'm pretty sure he never did.
A month or so after getting contacts, I had one knocked out during a Freshman basketball game. After it was found, Rob accompanied to the locker room. For some reason, he really wanted to put the lens back into my eye for me. It was the only time in 53 years that someone (other than an optician) has put a lens in for me.
It is nice to see these memories of Rob Sauer. Rob was a mediocre athlete, not a great student and let's not even mention the haircut. But he was the most energetic and inspirational guy I ever met. I was very lucky to get to know Rob well, and it had a big impact on me. Spring of our senior year, Rob and I started working as electrician assistants for Hook and Ray Electric, wiring houses in new construction at Barclay Farms. Over the next four summers and Christmases we continued to work at Hook and Ray. We were working long hours and six days a week, but Rob still had time to drag me into making extra money waxing cars after work. He was tireless, and Doug is right, he was pretty meticulous about detailing cars. We even started waxing Hook and Rays trucks at one point. Rob went to college in Downers Grove outside of Chicago - I can't remember the name of the school. From day one he knew his career path was to be a social worker, and he had the greatest time doing social work in Chicago in the late 60's. That would have been a really rough venue. After graduation he worked for a YMCA in Hamilton, Ohio. He packed as much life as he possibly could in to a short period of time. Ade was bigger than life and his cheeseburgers were the greatest. Interestingly, while his son was home from college learning to be a social worker, Ade was in the NJ National Guard going up to Newark for riot response. Somehow that was talked about but not heatedly. Rob had a way of keeping things calm. Rob changed cars like underwear. The car I remember most was his '57 pink and white two-tone Mercury with pink fender skirts. Ever the social worker showing his appreciation of diverse cultures. Somehow, as we were driving around one night, the car caught fire - while we.were in a gas station. Only Rob saw the humor in the situation. Like I say, Rob was quite enthusiastic. At work we would come into one of these empty framed houses and Rob would drop his tools on the floor and scream, "Never fear - Top Job and his Capable Assistant are here to save the day." Needless to say, Rob was Top Job and I was the Capable Assistant. Rob quickly exceeded me at work, and by the end of the first summer was wiring houses on his own. It was not my liberal classmates at Stanford that made me progressive. No it was Ade Sauer's kid. Rob made me read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Manchild in the Promised Land. He had an indelible impact on my life that has lasted to this day. Fifteen years ago at my investiture to be sworn in as a federal magistrate judge, I mentioned a few people, including my father, who had passed away and couldn't be with me that day. The only person there who knew Rob was my mother, but he was too important to my success to not be mentioned even though no one would understand the reference. Rob was a great guy who was headed to doing great things. I was incredibly lucky to spend so much time with him.
I'm posting this with Josh's and Jamie's permission. Vicki
In a message dated 2/10/2017 12:58:33 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, josh@gitomer.com writes:
Janet, Gale, Ed, Bill, Conni, Bob, Vicki, and Chuck
A remarkable email arrived today, and I wanted to share it with all of you, for it was by all your good works that it happened.
Background: Glenn Levin found out last summer, quite by accident, that his neighbor had been awarded the Rob and Ade Sauer Community Foundation Scholarship. Glenn shared that chance discovery with Vicki who then called Chris Sauer, Rob’s sister-in-law, to get more details. In that conversation Vicki mentioned the talk that Chuck Pyle gave at the memorial slideshow. Chris said she would love to see the portion of the slideshow about Rob, and at Vicki’s request I sent Chris the memorial page, some photos, and a login to the hmhs66 website so she could read all the tributes to Rob. Chris sent me a lovely thank you note, and then, some days later, this landed in my inbox from her daughter, Jamie:
Hi Josh,
My mom forwarded your message to me. Thank you so much for reaching out to her.
I am Jamie, 33, the oldest daughter of Rich Sauer, the middle child of Ade's. My father died in 2006 of malignant melanoma of the eye, a very rare a tragic thing...something I still struggle to cope with today. However, what you sent my mom is the kind of thing that gets me through the days. My father was Rob's biggest fan. He spent his life attempting to follow in Rob's footsteps, even became a Lutheran pastor because of Rob. My dad was the best, I practically worship the man. And from seeing the stories about Rob, especially from Mr. Pyle, it is clear as where my father got all of his inspiration. What a wonderful piece that was from Mr. Pyle...I am so thankful I was able to read it, but truly wish my father could have seen it too. He would have loved it, and I'm sure he would have written something very similar.
It is so vital, especially in this day and age...we must remember those who came before us and gain as much as we can. It's a blessing to have this connection, I thank you so much for what you've done. My dad would have been SO humbled, amazed, and happy to see this...I wish I had the words to express as well as he could...
My dad was the best man I've ever known and I can't help but think that it has an awful lot to do with the major influence of Rob in his life. Of course, I never met Rob but I sure feel like I knew him. My dad talked so highly of him throughout my life.
Again, thank you so much for reaching out to my mother with this information. I am very thankful to have it. Nothing prepares you for the early death of a parent (especially when they were your hero, your best friend, and closest confidant) but things like these warm my heart and make it a little easier to cope.
It is a very awesome thing you have done.
Jamie
And here is my response. Jamie said it was fine to share the whole thread with all of you:
Hi Jamie,
Though we have never met, I want you to know that your sweet note had me in tears this morning. Our class of ’66 has made a great effort to stay connected and to share our lives and stories with the families of those we lost. Your letter is the best possible affirmation and validation of all we have done. And speaking as a father, your devotion to your dad is something that every parent prays for. I’m so sorry for your loss, but as the same time very happy that you gave of yourself so fully to him.
With your permission, I would like to share it with my classmates, so many of whom held Rob in high regard. It is a vital part of our legacy to know that the friendships we made many years ago still have meaning today for our loved ones and our descendants.
Jane "Jill" Hunter (Burrill)
What a sweet, kind friend.
Doug Clevenger
Rob and I were best friends in early elementary school, Tatum. He lived on Potter Street at the time. I think it was in 6th grade when he moved to another part of town and went to Lizzy Haddon. We lost our bond, but I always remember Rob as my first best friend.
On many a Saturday morning Rob and I earned money washing cars behind Ade's Soda Fountain on Kings Highway. Rob was a perfectionist when it came to washing and cleaning a car inside and out. Ade was Rob's father, a great guy. Ade's cheeseburgers and real milk shakes were fabulous.
Rob did not have natural athletic talent and was really too nice to play football. However, he was the starting center on our 66 football team . He was not a physical guy, but knew how to position himself to perform a block. In fact Spice named the center's block on the old 51and 52 play up the middle after Rob. He called it the "Sauer Block"; you don't have to move the opposing lineman out, you just had to position yourself to keep the lineman from making the tackle.
Senior year Rob enlists me and Larry Fisher to do something totally out of character. It must have been the spring, near graduation. I can remember sneaking out my bedroom window in the middle of the night. Rob and Larry pick me. The plan was to apply grass/weed killer with a spreader on the football field in very large font to form "66". We were successful and so very proud of our bad boy's accomplishment.
Sorry that you could not stay with us longer Rob Sauer. You were one of the good guys.
Bob Greenberg
Ah Ha, so you guys were the ones who did that. I love it. And I will never forget hanging out at Ade's. Every time I drive past that store front, I think about that place. Talk about the innocence of youth in our day. Milk shakes, let's see, how many hours on the elliptical would one of those babies be worth now?
Thanks, Doug, Great stuff.
Josh Gitomer
Doug, great memories and well told. And to have a play named after you by Spice is no small achievement! All our "In Memory" classmates deserve to have their stories told, and it's up to us survivors to do it. My god, I did not realize Rob was lost in his early 20s. Thanks so much for bringing him back after all these years.
Ted Laux
I remember Rob as a real nice guy. It's funny what memories stand out.
I went to Ade's a few times, a novel experience for me having grown up in a town without a main street or soda fountain. Ade was always friendly and showed up at all Rob's sporting events.
I remember Rob being annoyed because a football program listed him as "Saver"
For some reason I remember a few incidents relating to contact lenses. Although I was an early contact wearer, Rob had them already. On my first day at school wearing the lenses, Rob was the first person to notice how unnaturally I was holding my head and said something teasingly like,"Oh, I see you got contacts for Christmas."
When I asked him one day what contact lens solution he used, he told me he used Elmer's glue. (He was only kidding. Don't try this at home.)
Rob lost a contact during a football practice and Ade insisted he take a flashlight out to the field that night to try to find it. I'm pretty sure he never did.
A month or so after getting contacts, I had one knocked out during a Freshman basketball game. After it was found, Rob accompanied to the locker room. For some reason, he really wanted to put the lens back into my eye for me. It was the only time in 53 years that someone (other than an optician) has put a lens in for me.
Charles Pyle
It is nice to see these memories of Rob Sauer. Rob was a mediocre athlete, not a great student and let's not even mention the haircut. But he was the most energetic and inspirational guy I ever met. I was very lucky to get to know Rob well, and it had a big impact on me. Spring of our senior year, Rob and I started working as electrician assistants for Hook and Ray Electric, wiring houses in new construction at Barclay Farms. Over the next four summers and Christmases we continued to work at Hook and Ray. We were working long hours and six days a week, but Rob still had time to drag me into making extra money waxing cars after work. He was tireless, and Doug is right, he was pretty meticulous about detailing cars. We even started waxing Hook and Rays trucks at one point. Rob went to college in Downers Grove outside of Chicago - I can't remember the name of the school. From day one he knew his career path was to be a social worker, and he had the greatest time doing social work in Chicago in the late 60's. That would have been a really rough venue. After graduation he worked for a YMCA in Hamilton, Ohio. He packed as much life as he possibly could in to a short period of time. Ade was bigger than life and his cheeseburgers were the greatest. Interestingly, while his son was home from college learning to be a social worker, Ade was in the NJ National Guard going up to Newark for riot response. Somehow that was talked about but not heatedly. Rob had a way of keeping things calm. Rob changed cars like underwear. The car I remember most was his '57 pink and white two-tone Mercury with pink fender skirts. Ever the social worker showing his appreciation of diverse cultures. Somehow, as we were driving around one night, the car caught fire - while we.were in a gas station. Only Rob saw the humor in the situation. Like I say, Rob was quite enthusiastic. At work we would come into one of these empty framed houses and Rob would drop his tools on the floor and scream, "Never fear - Top Job and his Capable Assistant are here to save the day." Needless to say, Rob was Top Job and I was the Capable Assistant. Rob quickly exceeded me at work, and by the end of the first summer was wiring houses on his own. It was not my liberal classmates at Stanford that made me progressive. No it was Ade Sauer's kid. Rob made me read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Manchild in the Promised Land. He had an indelible impact on my life that has lasted to this day. Fifteen years ago at my investiture to be sworn in as a federal magistrate judge, I mentioned a few people, including my father, who had passed away and couldn't be with me that day. The only person there who knew Rob was my mother, but he was too important to my success to not be mentioned even though no one would understand the reference. Rob was a great guy who was headed to doing great things. I was incredibly lucky to spend so much time with him.
Bob Greenberg
Well, your Honor, that is just about one of the finest memorial comments I have ever had the pleasure to read. Thank you, very much, for posting that.
Chuck Robson
Have to agree with Bob. Everybody has great memories of Rob. Me included.
Vicki Meece (Knowles)
I'm posting this with Josh's and Jamie's permission. Vicki
In a message dated 2/10/2017 12:58:33 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, josh@gitomer.com writes:
Elliot Paul (Paul)
How thoughtful and well said. Sad but so important for all concerned. EJ Paul