Indiana University Athletics
A Tribute to Robert Burnham
10/22/2015 1:46:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Robert John Burnham loved Indiana University and being on the IU men's tennis team. As a captain on the team in his senior season in 1952, Bob led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season, winning the Big Ten crown and taking the conference's singles title, dropping only one match the entire season.
Bob (1930-2015) passed away at the age of 85, on Monday October 12, 2015 and will be missed greatly by his family and friends. The IU men's tennis program sends their thoughts and prayers to the family.
Bob's son, Scott wrote the following obituary for his father.
Asked about his most cherished memory, Bob Burnham never hesitated. He beamed when recalling the sun-splashed summer day when he arrived at the doorstep of that Beverly Shores home in 1952.
It belonged to the family of Sandra Duke, an Indiana University co-ed with whom a mutual friend had coordinated a blind date.
"She was radiant," a smitten Bob would say, recounting every detail from how she wore her hair down to the type of buttons that adorned her dress.
But Sandra wasn't taking any chances. While waiting in her bedroom, she summoned her younger sister to greet Bob at the door and report back on her most imperative criteria for a potential suitor – his height. He apparently passed the test; the pair's subsequent marriage endured for 58 years.
Bob, 85, died peacefully on Monday, following a short illness.
Born in 1930 in Michigan City, Robert John Burnham grew up in Long Beach along the shores of Lake Michigan.
As a boy, he took up tennis in his driveway using a wire strung racket he stumbled across one day in the family's garage. Despite never taking a lesson, he went on to play for the Elston High School and Indiana University tennis teams. As captain his senior year, Bob led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season, winning the Big Ten crown and taking the conference's singles title, losing only one match the entire season.
Following graduation and a two-year stint as a sergeant in the U.S. Army in Korea, Bob eschewed offers to play professional tennis, opting instead to join his father in running the family business – Burnham Glove. His business acumen and savvy negotiating skills helped him succeed but it was his sense of humor and charming wit that won over clients. He worked well into his 70s before retiring and selling the company.
Bob employed those same talents as Long Beach town president in the 1970s. During his tenure, the town dramatically expanded its parks and recreational venues. He was a strong advocate for acquiring hundreds of wooded acres in Moon Valley and was instrumental in preserving the land that remains undeveloped today.
An avid reader and Civil War buff, Bob pored over hundreds of books about the war and would routinely correct docents during many of the family's infamous "Battleground Vacations," much to the chagrin of his children.
He was a devoted Hoosier fan, but also secretly rooted for the University of Michigan (his father's and son's alma mater) and the University of Georgia where several of his grandchildren attended.
Bob was also a dedicated member of the First Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon, elder and member of the finance committee. Upon retirement, he volunteered for Meals on Wheels, making daily food deliveries. And although he never took a tennis lesson, he took great pride in his later years volunteering as assistant coach and mentor for the boys and girls high school tennis teams.
But his beloved "Sand" and his family were always his top priority. He doted on his three children and eight grandchildren, whom he regaled and captivated for hours on end with stories, jokes and cringe-worthy puns.
Bob is survived by his devoted wife, Sandra and his children: Elizabeth Burnham, and husband Don Olson of Michigan City; Robert Burnham and his wife, Caroline, of Alpharetta, Georgia; and Scott Burnham and his wife, Monika, of Oak Park, Illinois. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Grant (his wife Amy and their son, Ethan), Brian, Jacob, Jared, Brad, Carlie, Eloise and Evan and by his sisters Mary and Alice and brother, Frederic.
Bob (1930-2015) passed away at the age of 85, on Monday October 12, 2015 and will be missed greatly by his family and friends. The IU men's tennis program sends their thoughts and prayers to the family.
Bob's son, Scott wrote the following obituary for his father.
Asked about his most cherished memory, Bob Burnham never hesitated. He beamed when recalling the sun-splashed summer day when he arrived at the doorstep of that Beverly Shores home in 1952.
It belonged to the family of Sandra Duke, an Indiana University co-ed with whom a mutual friend had coordinated a blind date.
"She was radiant," a smitten Bob would say, recounting every detail from how she wore her hair down to the type of buttons that adorned her dress.
But Sandra wasn't taking any chances. While waiting in her bedroom, she summoned her younger sister to greet Bob at the door and report back on her most imperative criteria for a potential suitor – his height. He apparently passed the test; the pair's subsequent marriage endured for 58 years.
Bob, 85, died peacefully on Monday, following a short illness.
Born in 1930 in Michigan City, Robert John Burnham grew up in Long Beach along the shores of Lake Michigan.
As a boy, he took up tennis in his driveway using a wire strung racket he stumbled across one day in the family's garage. Despite never taking a lesson, he went on to play for the Elston High School and Indiana University tennis teams. As captain his senior year, Bob led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season, winning the Big Ten crown and taking the conference's singles title, losing only one match the entire season.
Following graduation and a two-year stint as a sergeant in the U.S. Army in Korea, Bob eschewed offers to play professional tennis, opting instead to join his father in running the family business – Burnham Glove. His business acumen and savvy negotiating skills helped him succeed but it was his sense of humor and charming wit that won over clients. He worked well into his 70s before retiring and selling the company.
Bob employed those same talents as Long Beach town president in the 1970s. During his tenure, the town dramatically expanded its parks and recreational venues. He was a strong advocate for acquiring hundreds of wooded acres in Moon Valley and was instrumental in preserving the land that remains undeveloped today.
An avid reader and Civil War buff, Bob pored over hundreds of books about the war and would routinely correct docents during many of the family's infamous "Battleground Vacations," much to the chagrin of his children.
He was a devoted Hoosier fan, but also secretly rooted for the University of Michigan (his father's and son's alma mater) and the University of Georgia where several of his grandchildren attended.
Bob was also a dedicated member of the First Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon, elder and member of the finance committee. Upon retirement, he volunteered for Meals on Wheels, making daily food deliveries. And although he never took a tennis lesson, he took great pride in his later years volunteering as assistant coach and mentor for the boys and girls high school tennis teams.
But his beloved "Sand" and his family were always his top priority. He doted on his three children and eight grandchildren, whom he regaled and captivated for hours on end with stories, jokes and cringe-worthy puns.
Bob is survived by his devoted wife, Sandra and his children: Elizabeth Burnham, and husband Don Olson of Michigan City; Robert Burnham and his wife, Caroline, of Alpharetta, Georgia; and Scott Burnham and his wife, Monika, of Oak Park, Illinois. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Grant (his wife Amy and their son, Ethan), Brian, Jacob, Jared, Brad, Carlie, Eloise and Evan and by his sisters Mary and Alice and brother, Frederic.
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