2025 IIHOF Speech

My experience at the 2025 IIHOF Induction Ceremony was amazing. It was an unexpected honor that I will always treasure. Below is my short speech, we are only given five minutes. I knew from my time on the board and attending over 15 ceremonies that the best speeches were entertaining and especilly good when people would laugh. So, I tried to inject some humor into it and mostly succeeded. Below is the speech followed by the thank you I sent to the IIHOF Board of Directors. 

My Speech:

Thank you, Abby-Jaye, that was really, nice of you to do that and I greatly appreciate our long friendship.

I'd like to thank the Hall of Fame Board of Directors for the excellent job they did voting this year. And I appreciate the many hours of work that the board members provide to make this event possible.

Congratulations to the other 2025 inductees.

And many thanks to all of you for showing up tonight and making this a special night for me and I'm sure for the other inductees and their families.

I would take more than five minutes to thank the people that helped me in my career, from Jim Ketring who brought me to Des Moines in 1979 to my friend the late Ted Lussem.

Move Along

Here is a long overdue update on Debbie’s journey. Time is flying by, and I feel like I am never caught up. There is always too much to do and I have too little energy to do it all.

It has three months of challenges for Debbie as she continues her long goodbye. Since the last post she made two trips to the hospital, one by ambulance the other I drove her. Both were overnight stays, but she was able to return to Edgewater both times.


Debbie continues to lose ground cognitively, but she is unaware of the total extent of her condition, and we are grateful for that. She often does not sleep well so mornings are a difficult time for her. After an hour or two she usually joins in the scheduled activities and is generally calm. I visit at least once every day and always for an hour or two before dinner as this is by far her best time.

We have a daily routine. The first is to help her clean up and change clothes, go for a walk (outside if the weather is good), and then watch a little television. We sit at the same table with another couple where another husband visits his wife everyday too. We have become good friends.

Last month I moved closer to Edgewater, just two blocks south of the campus. I will miss the Bridgewood neighborhood and the many friends that Debbie and I have made over the last 24 years. I went to a different school in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grades, all different school districts spread across three states. Being in one place for so long was something I will always cherish. But the Bridgewood house was empty without Debbie and being able to walk or bike to Edgewater seemed like a good option.

The move was more work both physically and mentally than I expected it to be. So many small details and follow-ups to follow-ups. William was a great help moving. Jackson and Cassidy travelled from Kearney and with Mikki and Hunter they organized my great room. They selected new furniture, set everything up, and decorated it in two days. My 98.5-inch television (that's 7 feet by 4 feet) looks good in there!

My new tricycle has worked out great. There is already 55 miles on the odometer from just going a few blocks to Edgewater and back!

Onward and Upward! Bob

Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame

 After a long career with GuideOne / Preferred Risk and the Iowa FAIR Plan, I found out that I will be inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame. It still seems a little surreal to me as I didn't see myself at that level. Apparently the people that nominated me, those that wrote letters of recommendation, and the board of directors that voted didn't agree. I am grateful for the honor.

I was blessed to have great bosses, mentors, and coworkers. So many of them have passed away but their influence is still with me and I do my best to pass it on to those that I influence.

Ron Wilson, Bob Conroy, Jack Martinez

My late wife, Carol, and my wife Debbie were always supportive and and encouraging. Success at any level would have been impossible without their love and support.

Ron Wilson, Dave Creighton Sr.

Russ Lettington, Syd Vanderlinden, Bob Conroy

Yesterday was Debbie's 69th birthday.

Debbie has been in Edgewater for one year now. She has adapted well to living there and it continues to be the best life possible that I can provide for her. I still visit every day. Most days I must help her with hygiene issues as she is most comfortable taking help from me. Then before dinner we walk around the building or the campus if the weather is nice. If I have FAIR Plan work that needs to be done, I open my laptop while Debbie is content sitting next to me while I work.

The Edgewater staff members are amazing. I cannot adequately describe the depth of their professionalism, their caring, and their hard work. I don't know how they give so much of themselves to care about the residents as much as they do and then must see each of them die.

Since Debbie has been there, there have been six deaths in total, with two in the last few weeks. We lost Maggie, the life of the party. Maggie told me she was there because she had dementia and then laughed and laughed. She maintained her sense of humor, making her pleasant company. About a month before her passing her awful disease went into high gear and forced her into skilled care. Debbie and I would visit her there and by this time she seldom opened her eyes. But when I held her hand and talked to her, she would occasionally squeeze my hand to let me know that she was still there. Cindy passed last weekend. She always had a smile for me and occasionally a wink to let me know she was still there. Her courage to participate in activities while her body was frail and failing was inspiring. I miss them both.

Calm and Happy

Here is an update on where we are on our journey. Debbie is still at Edgewater in the memory care unit called Beacon Springs. 

The last few months have been a time of loss. A longtime friend from my Preferred Risk days died, and another is now in memory care. Recently, several of the residents in Beacon Springs have died, two have moved to long-term care, and one is in the hospital. The losses continue with Debbie as she continues to lose more cognitive ability. She is starting to hallucinate. She is hearing voices and then responding to them. Her words make no sense, but then I only hear half of the conversation.

The good news is that Debbie is calm and generally happy because she feels safe. She is always clean, well-fed, and tended to by wonderful people who care about her. To the best of her ability, Debbie participates in group activities. She has many friends and family who visit. So, from that perspective, she's luckier than most people.