With updated criteria for this award, Bob De Smidt ’61 of Cedar Grove, Wis., is the inaugural recipient of the Alumni Stewardship, Service and Leadership Award. The honor is earned by an alumnus who has demonstrated exceptional stewardship, service, leadership, integrity, energy and sustainability efforts to Central College and in his community.
Bob has a true love for family, faith, Central, children and the elderly. Involved with basketball, the faculty-student social committee, YMCA and the Spanish club in college, Bob graduated with an economics and business management degree and continues to stay active with Central College by serving on the National Advisory Council and as a past reunion class chair; attending alumni, church and athletic events; donating time, supplies and finances; and serves as a special admission recruiter for the state of Wisconsin.
Employed for 47 years with the Brady Corporation in Milwaukee in sales and marketing, Bob, the 1978 salesman of the year, is retired but continues to consult. His volunteer activities are widespread and his motto is, “We are here to serve others; so let’s just do it.” He volunteers with activities and games for a local assisted living facility, where he calls bingo among other things, and helps elderly people in his church who do not have family nearby with insurance, prescriptions, finances and more. He reads with children ages 3-5 at a local day care in his church and has spent more than 10 years working with elementary students on reading, math and English, especially giving children from single parent homes the help, love and support they need and deserve. Bob serves on boards for a thrift store which supports the local Christian high school, Words of Hope in Grand Rapids, Mich., and a new company building a very unique high performance TV antenna.
Community, church and Central College benefit from Bob’s service and leadership. He and wife Doris Veldhorst De Smidt ’64 have three grown children – Jeff, Anne and Jennifer, and four grandchildren that keep them hopping to more than 100 soccer, basketball, softball and volleyball games a year. And, it was at a Central College wrestling meet in Wisconsin nearly a year ago, where this Dutch fan drove an injured Central wrestler to the hospital, took notes and asked doctors questions, and spent time with the young man before driving him back to the gym when it was time for the team to head back to Pella.
Congratulations, Bob! Central College is grateful to you and your family and we thank you for exemplifying the spirit of a Central graduate.
