Bob Lemke -- Terribly Sad News

[whiteymet]

VERY saddened to hear of Bob's passing.

Spent many hours with Bob at the old Ft. Washington, PA show talking cards. I would show him lots of oddball stuff and variations hoping he would include them in the catalog, some of which he would deem important enough, others not.

The first time he said he would give me an acknowledgement in the front of the next catalog. I told him that was not necessary, but sure enough he did and it is still there to this day along with many other contributors.

Occasional collectors and non collectors would contact him with a question about a certain issue or item and he would always "pass them off" to me and I assume others if the item in question was in that collectors specialty. I pick up some really nice and rare items from contacts Bob either gave me or told others to get in touch with me.

I know he was frustrated after he left SCD that no one there really had the passion to pick up or gather info to update the catalog. I know I tried to give info to SCD a few times with seemingly no interest. When I turned to him he sort of threw his hands up and said time had passed for him to do it. I mentioned he could at least mention things in his blog which he did do a few times.

Then of course there were his "cards". When I won the original artwork that was intended to be used for the Richie Ashburn card in the 1955 Topps set that was never issued due to the Bowman contract fiasco of the time, I contacted Bob about making a card of it.

He said he would be glad to do it, but that I should be the one writing the back of the card and helping with design etc. So we went ahead and worked on it.

You can see the final two designs and the back of the card below. He also did a 53 Topps Ashburn from original art that again was not issued for the same reason. Strange they could issue a card of Ashburn in 54 but not 53 or 55.....

A TRUE giant in the hobby! Naturally he will be missed.

Fred McKie