[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 127 (Thursday, October 12, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 UPON THE DEATH OF ROBERT K. PILLSBURY, DEDICATED MINNESOTA COMMUNITY 
                 LEADER AND VISIONARY ENVIRONMENTALIST

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM RAMSTAD

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 11, 2000

  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise proudly to salute a remarkable and 
visionary public servant from the Lake Minnetonka community in 
Minnesota who passed away recently. Robert K. Pillsbury of Minnetonka, 
Minnesota, passed away October 5, 2000, after a long illness. Bob will 
be sorely missed by all of us who admired and respected his dedicated 
public stewardship and his love and devotion to his faith, family, 
friends, and country.
  By any measure of merit, Bob was one of our nation's best and 
brightest--a gifted business leader, civic leader and loving husband, 
father, and grandfather.
  Bob Pillsbury loved his country and was a true patriot, serving a 
grateful nation with honor and great courage during World War II as a 
first lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
  Mr. Speaker, Minnesotans called him ``Mr. Lake Minnetonka.'' Bob 
lived on the shores of Lake Minnetonka and there wasn't a more 
dedicated, vigilant defender of the lake than Bob Pillsbury. He was 
relentless in the amount of time, energy and talent he devoted to 
protecting Lake Minnetonka for both current users and future 
generations.
  Bob started the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol on Lake 
Minnetonka. The Water Patrol has made a huge, life-saving difference in 
providing safety measures on the surface of this busy, metro-area lake, 
and it has served as a model for law enforcement agencies all around 
the nation with jurisdiction over navigable waters.
  A warm and friendly man with a great wit, Bob Pillsbury represented 
his community on the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District for many 
years. His hard work on that citizens' panel led to many innovative 
practices to clean up and protect Lake Minnetonka, a highly used lake 
located in the midst of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Bob's bold 
vision produced environmental policies that will be followed for years 
to come.
  With Bob Pillsbury, no detail went overlooked. He was always looking 
for ways to keep Lake Minnetonka beautiful. One of Bob's favorite 
crusades was his plan to require dock owners to use green boat canopies 
rather than white, striped and multicolored ones, all the better to 
blend the intrusion of development into the natural environment. Mr. 
Speaker, the resolution never passed, but there are more green canopies 
on the lake than ever before, including mine.
  Bob Pillsbury was a highly successful stockbroker because he believed 
in people and his clients believed in him. He was a man of great 
integrity and he was a stakeholder in his community in so many ways. He 
was an original member of the City of Minnetonka's Charter Commission 
and a long-time member of the Minnetonka Planning Commission.
  Bob was an active member of the American Legion and the Zuhrah Shrine 
Temple, as well as the Fox and Hounds and Lafayette Clubs.
  Bob was also a great fan of University of Minnesota Golden Gopher 
Football. For 25 years, he organized charter flights to out-of-town 
Golden Gopher football games and did not miss a Golden Gopher game--
home or away--for 25 years. He was one of the biggest Gopher football 
fans ever. Despite failing health, Bob continued to watch every game in 
recent years at the Hillcrest Health Care Center, where he lived the 
past 5 years.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with Bob's wonderful family: his lovely 
wife of 58 years, Elizabeth M. Pillsbury; his sons, Robert, Jr. (wife 
Tody), and Charles (wife Linda); and his daughter, Sandra (husband 
David), as well as his four grandchildren and their spouses, and his 
step-grandson and his spouse and family.

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