Our Rotarian of the week is a “car guy.” He was born and raised in Warsaw, Indiana. His father was a manager at a grocery store and his mother was a bookkeeper at a local car dealership. She is still living in the same house in Warsaw at age 91.
His first job was washing cars at age 14 for 85 cents per hour. He was promoted to the parts department at age 16, where his gift for numbers was recognized. He graduated from high school in Warsaw in 1975, with a class of about 385. While continuing to work for the dealership he went to night school for two years to study accounting. He built a career in the car business doing every job (except comptroller), while moving from Warsaw to Ft. Wayne, IN, Fort Collins and Casper, WY. He bought into his first dealership in Casper.
Bob Womack was introduced to Rotary in Casper by Hardy Ratcliff. Mr. Ratcliff suggested that Bob needed to undertake civic engagement. Bob took the Rotary message of “Service Above Self” to heart.
Bob came to Cheyenne 24 years ago when he bought the Spradley Barr dealership. His work in the car business enmeshed him in every aspect of the community. He supported many organizations and non-profits in Cheyenne and is recognized as one of the leading businessmen in Wyoming.
Bob is married to his high school sweetheart Karen. They have two children, Rachel who lives in San Jose, CA, and Robert. Robert and his wife Radhika both work in the film industry and live in Burbank, CA.
Bob and Karen love to travel. Bob has been to every state in the Country, except North Dakota. They have traveled extensively in Europe, and they visit London twice a year. Bob has gone on several Rotary humanitarian trips to Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras. In Nicaragua he was helping an organization that deals with the “children of the dump.” These are kids who live in the town dump and subsist on what others throw away.
Bob also went to Ghana, Africa with John and Lori Millin (now Garrison) to help perform eye surgeries. Bob’s most profound memory is the surgery done on a 29-year-old blind man whose eyesight was restored. Bob recognizes that it takes an organization as large and compassionate as Rotary to help bring about significant progress. Bob is a proud financial supporter of Rotary.
Bob continues to enjoy the camaraderie and diversity of our Rotary Club, particularly with the vibrant presence of the young women and men who have joined.
Bob recently sold the dealership to Ken Garff, and he is looking forward to being able to spend more time traveling and working with Rotary. You will find him, when he and Karen are not traveling, at his homes in Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona.Please join me in honoring our Rotarian of the Week, Bob Womack.
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