Kasson community remembers Bob Pike

Kasson residents are remembering Bob Pike, an active community member who died last week at Fairview Care Center. It was just four months ago that his wife, Barb, who had also been well-known in the community died.
     Bob and Barb Pike moved to Kasson more than 60 years ago and Bob started working for IBM. Besides being an avid sports fan, Bob loved hunting and fishing but also was a part time Kasson cop for several years. Barb worked for the City of Kasson plus she was a former mayor. She passed in December 2020. Bob died March 20 while living at the Fairview Care Center at the age of 86.
KM Lion Club Secretary Ron Albright said Bob Pike was a charter member of the Kasson-Mantorville Lions Club when it was formed in 1977 and was the club’s first tail twister. The tail twister helps keep the meetings light hearted and has the power to fine members for any slight infraction. Bob would do this whether it was someone mentioning or wearing anything associated with their job, being the first or last in the line to eat, dressing up too much wearing a tie or not dressing up enough wearing jeans. When there wasn’t a real infraction Bob would create one to fine a member.
Throughout his many years in Lions, Bob had a history of perfect attendance. One of the club’s first service projects was to build two scoreboards for softball fields. Bob was there to help and even got his daughter, Angie, to make all of the numbers for the scoreboard. For years, the club has delivered sand to kid’s sandboxes. Bob always helped but his mischievous nature also led to trouble. While riding on the back of a truck delivering sand, they passed the wife of a club member walking along the street and Bob sprinkled her with a little water from his water bottle as they passed. Later when they delivered sand to her house, buckets of water and hoses were ready, and when the Lion volunteers got soaked, Bob loved it!
For his service to the Lions, Bob Pike was selected as the club’s very first Lion of the Year in 1984. He was also the only member who was not present to receive the award as he was returning from a hunting trip.
In 2008 the club also awarded Bob the highest honor a club can bestow on a member when he was given a Melvin Jones Fellowship and later he also received a Helen Keller Award for his continued service. While Bob received many awards from Lions, one of his prize possessions was a lawn chair he owned that his daughter Angie had painted with the Lions logo.
“Bob will be sorely missed as a Lion and as a very giving member of the K-M community. He really exemplified the Lion’s motto, “We Serve,” said Albright.
     Bob was a big sports fan and was always ready to give his prediction of an upcoming Viking game. You would see Bob at KM sports events throughout the year and he was named a member of the KM Athletic Hall of Fame.
     “We lost a real impact person in our community a few days ago,” said KM Supt. Mark Matuska. “Bob would show up for many KoMet events and he was an avid rooter. Bob was a good friend and a fellow Lion. It hurt when he needed to go to the Care Center and not able to attend games anymore. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers as Bob was a good man.”
Their daughter, Angie Parker, said Bob and Barb would go up to Lake Mille Lacs for family fishing trip several times each year. Bob would also go up North or to Canada other times with his fishing buddies. Bob always wanted to catch walleyes but did not want those “Northerns” in his boat.
When a grandchild was born on a Minnesota fishing opener and another on the Minnesota hunting opener, Bob accused them of very bad timing. A fun memory Angie said she has was when she caught the biggest fish in the boat, a “8-½ lb., 28 inch” walleye. Bob never could match that fish size while fishing at Mille Lacs so he marked that length on his boat. Another time they caught so many fish that they were over their limit so she finally said “Dad quit fishing” and they had to throw some back into the water to stay legal!
     “I grew up across the street from the Pike family in Kasson and have such great memories of both Bob and Barb,” said Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose. “My Dad and Bob were great friends and served together as part-time officers here years ago. Bob had such a great personality and sense of humor, was always smiling, and was always so connected and involved in our community.
     “If there was an event going on in town, from high school sports to city festivals – Bob was there. Whether he was helping park cars at football games, cooking food in the Lions food trailer, or seating you at church – Bob was there. Bob was always there to help and support the school, the Lions Club, his church, and this community that he loved. To this day my kids, who also grew up across the street from Bob and Barb, still refer to him as ‘Catfish’ and speak fondly of him. Bob will be dearly missed by the Rose family.”
He will be dearly missed here in Kasson for sure!