http://robert-dillon.forevermissed.comThe Holidays are coming and I can't help but think about all the Holidays spent with my Dad. He use to get excited like a little kid and he made my sister's and I's holidays so extraordinary and full of Magic. There was the Christmas my dad caught Mr.Jingles come on tape, the years the Easter Bunny really did come, the years he took us to the Santa Clause in the theaters, the year he made the best turkey on the grill (it was the best out the three others we had else where), the Christmas he convinced my Santa's present dropped out of his sleigh, and the year he kept trying to knock me off a sled in the snow behind his ridding lawn mower. I go into this Holiday season both with a smile and some tears. We'll miss your magic more then you know this year Dad! 

 I think that to everyone losing someone like my dad has been hard. He had a way of making everything seem better, no matter what it was. He never missed a volleyball game or a band concert, and I knew I could always talk to him! I was always lucky cause I have always been really close to my mom and dad. I remember when we were installing the wood floors and a new sliding glass door. I came home and there was this big whole in the side of the house and the floor was bare. When we finally picked out a glass door and got it home we almost had it in when it fell, it shouldn't have broken but of course it landed on a drill and shattered all over the place. That didn't stop him though! I will never forget us making our table together, watching his concert movies with him, sitting on the bed and listening to records, him trying to teach me how distilling worked, trying to get me to believe that Santa was still real, him trying to teach me guitar, canoeing, and so much more. It was never weird for me spending so much time alone with my dad. Him, my sister, and I would go to Centera and watch a movie, it either had to be animated or one with explosions (Dad's request!) and then we would go to Rock Bottom where he would try to find out the recipe for the chicken wings. He got me hooked on Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Mission Impossible, Bruce Willis, Mel Gibbson, and Clint Eastwood. He was one of the funniest people I have ever met, and I can honestly say that he was the best dad anyone could ask for, and I am not just saying that! : ) I remember at my NJHS induction he and my step-dad contemplated walking up on stage in front of most of my class mates holding hands! Thank goodness they didn't. But if there is anything that I learned from him it was that life is too short to take seriously!  I will never, never forget my dad and everything that he did for my sister and I. I know that he won't be there for my graduation, me or my sister's weddings, or ever see either of us have kids but I am just grateful that I got him for 13 years, I feel pretty lucky that I have never fought with either of my parents and that I got that much good time with my dad! He was the most amazing man and dad.

I first got to know Bobby in our small high school in Dwight.  We were in a couple of plays together and he first impressed me with his juggling talent.  As much as he tried to teach me the skill, I just fumbled it.  He never gave up on me, even though he laughed hysterically at my feeble attempts.  He certainly taught me not to take myself too seriously.  When I hear other people comment on his love of music, I can only nod my head in agreement.  Everything we did had a musical aspect to it.  To this day when I hear Head East's "Never Been Any Reason" I think about riding around in Bob's car (named Rondo, by the way) and all of us singing at the top of our lungs.  There was also the day we bought a gallon of A&W Root beer and a gallon of ice cream and sat around drinking root beer floats and playing random songs for each other on Jeff's stereo.  Somehow Bob and Dan made a silly afternoon like that seem so much fun.  And I think that was Bob's greatest skill--making anything seem fun.  Even though we sort of lost touch when Bobby moved to Colorado, I hope he brought that zest for life with him.  I can't imagine any friend, old or new, thinking about Bob without smiling.  I'm so sorry for such a premature loss.

My dad was an amazing person. He hated seeing people upset or sad, he always had a way to make you laugh, even when you didn't want to laugh. My dad was full of passion. He loved music, art, cooking, my sister and I, animals, magic, and being funny. I still remeber when he was trying to figure out the details of being able to leap frog across the united states, he wanted to set a world reccord. My dad love brewing beer and recently got into distilling. There was the time his mead exploded all over my bedroom and all the times he used my sister's bath tub to brew beer. My dad and I used to play a game driving in the car our out to dinner, when a song came on he would ask "who sings this?" of course he always kicked my ass but he taught me a lot about music and taught me a strong apprication. My dad taught me to follow my dreams, he taught me perciverance, he taught me patients, he taught me about passion, he taught me determination, he taught me the importance of having confidence in myself. My dad taught me to belive, truely belive in Santa, the Easter Bunny, Mr.Jingles, the tooth fairy, he taught me not to grow up too fast. He taught me that it is okay to goof around and be a kid, even at forty nine my dad still hadn't grown all the way up. My dad was an amazing dad.When I have children one day I hope to be half the parent my dad was and I hope to teach  my children the values my dad taught me. His memory will live on in those that he touched. 

Bob was the first person I met at Precision Photonics two summers ago.  I remember Bob finding work for me to do on my first day being that I had no acquired skills yet. I spent most of my time that summer in the back office with Bob, with KBCO playing in the background. 

This past summer I got to know Bob better. He became more than just a boss. He taught me all about the inner workings of a functioning business, sometimes spending extra time with me to make sure I understood. He was my mentor. 

He was impressed with my knowledge of classic rock, so we started a friendly competition to see who could name more songs on the radio. Every day we shared stories about music and our favorite bands and songs. Through Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Boston we bridged our generational differences. He was a real music aficionado. 

We also talked about life outside of work.  He told me all about his newest barbeque recipe and brought in samples of his newest smoked concoction.  When he wasn’t grilling, he was involved in his home improvement projects and often asked for my input. He was a master chef and a handyman. 

Bob, Natalie and I would always have our two o’ clock talks, where we engaged in profound discussions about whatever was on our minds that day. I heard some of Bob’s greatest life stories and I shared with him some of mine. He was a role model. Most of all, he was someone I trusted, respected, and cared about. He was my friend. I will miss him greatly, and wherever he may be, he’s got ribs on the grill and the smooth sounds of KBCO in the air. 

We will always remember you Bob,

Alex Shaffer