In Memoriam - Bob Kutella

We are very sad to report the death of longtime IRM volunteer Bob Kutella. Bob hasn't been an active volunteer for eight or nine years now, due to ongoing health problems, but he left an indelible mark on the museum during the roughly 45 years he spent as a volunteer. The project with which he was always most closely associated was the restoration of Sand Springs 68 over a period of many years. He did a tremendous amount of work on this car in an impressive variety of disciplines, from woodwork and roof work to machining, wiring, electrical engineering, and truck work. The result was a transformation from a basket case into a fully operational car (described in this history that Bob wrote for this blog back in 2010).

But Bob's involvement with IRM went far beyond a single interurban car. At one time or another he was General Manager, a director, and in the early 2000s he was the curator of the Freight Car Department. He oversaw the collection of a number of very significant pieces of equipment and, along with a handful of other department regulars, worked to restore several different freight cars that are still seen and enjoyed anytime we run demonstration freight trains. He was always interested in the history of the cars under his care and made a point of "going after" particularly rare or significant pieces.

Bob's interest extended to machines, too, and he was a major driver in the effort to outfit the current wood shop with a range of restored woodworking machines These included, notably, the giant Berlin sander, which was completely rebuilt on his watch. Following outfitting of the wood shop he helped set up the first "Arnfest" gatherings of woodworking machine enthusiasts, gatherings which continue to the present day under Buzz Morrisette. Bob was also a go-to expert in the shop on several different subjects, including drafting work as well as lettering (sign painting), at which he excelled. And of course his dry sense of humor was ever-present.

I'm sure that I'm missing a lot of contributions Bob made to the museum, and indeed his heavy involvement over so many years would make a comprehensive list of his activities virtually impossible. He will be sorely missed.

UPDATE: Funeral and memorial service arrangements:

Visitation will be Thursday, October 14, 2021 from 11:30am to 1:30pm with a memorial service to follow at 1:30pm. The location is the Lauterburg-Oehler Funeral Home at 2000 E. Northwest Highway, Arlington Heights. Chris and Dan Buck will lead the service.

Kirk Warner photo