 Photo Joseph Olejak There are people that you meet that have a powerful effect on the course of your own life. Bob Elmendorf was one of those people for me.
As I was cleaning my house today at about 4:30 a bird flew into my home out of the pouring rain. All the doors and windows were closed. It stopped trying to fly through the plate glass window and then perched on the TV. "How did you get in here?" I said to the bird. He just cocked his head to one side as if to say "don't you know?" I opened all the doors and windows and out he flew. A few minutes later my phone pinged me. It was a message from Bob's neighbor in Malden Bridge letting me know that he had passed. Bob loved to feed the birds and was always letting me know which bird he'd seen and whether the bears had toppled over his feeders. The first time Bob interacted with me at the Meeting was to let me know that my committee "assignment" was with OPJ. Bob had an unconventional way of handling Nominating Committee. The truth is that Bob Elmendorf was a force majeure when it came to Outreach, Peace and Justice. Bob would talk to anyone about anything related to any one of those items; whether it was over a chicken at potluck or a coffee and savory scone at the Old Chatham Cafe & Bakery. He didn't care a whit about being a "Quiet Quaker." He'd whip out those little palm cards and invite everyone he came into contact with. He took Outreach seriously. When Bob left our meeting for The Eddy it left a great hole not just in the life of the meeting but in OPJ. I'd been quietly taking over those responsibilities as clerk, but always felt inwardly "how the heck can I fill Bob's shoes?" Bob was a hard act to follow. When that little bird flew away it was Bob"s way of saying "I'm in the Bardo now, I've passed over. I'm like a bird. I've taken flight from this world and am ready to move on to the next." Farewell Bob. Many loved you; including me. ~ Joseph Olejak
3 Comments
Kevin OBrien
9/29/2025 04:39:14 am
Well written, well spoken, Joesph. 10/3/2025 08:07:04 pm
Today when I went on line to see if the home of an elderly friend in Old Chatham had sold, I saw another house I recognized: On its porch were a large collection of walking sticks, and inside were room after room filled with bookcases. "That's Bob Elmendorf's house," I said to my husband. It was a very moving and unexpected visit to a dear man we used to see often on our evening walks on Shaker Museum Road. We hadn't seen him for a while and wondered where he'd gone. When I googled him tonight, I found your lovely remembrance, Joseph, and saw he left this earth only a few days ago. I'll remember him with fondness and admiration from the NYS Writers Institute, where he was a participant in my advanced poetry workshop, and from the peace vigils at the Gazebo in Chatham, and from events at the OC Meeting House, which he encouraged us to attend. He shared his zeal for all sorts of good causes, and was beloved by many who'll miss and remember him for many reasons.
Rebecca McBride
10/4/2025 04:37:29 pm
Wonderful post, Joseph. And I love the pic! Leave a Reply. |
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