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Remembering Bob Cash

The Maine Audubon family was sad to learn of the recent passing of Bob Cash. In addition to his many accomplishments, Bob served as president of the York County Audubon Chapter and on Maine Audubon’s Board of Trustees.

Here are some remembrances from Maine Audubon staff and York County Chapter leaders:

Linda Woodard: I knew Bob well. He used to lead bird walks for the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center. He was a really nice, kind, and genuine person. I had people who visited every year who would call and ask if he would be leading the walks, since he was such a good leader. He was so kind and patient with beginners but still could handle the experts. He was an outstanding ambassador to the many people who came through the marsh.

Doug Hitchcox: I met Bob early on as I was getting into birding, at the Scarborough Marsh. It didn’t take long for us to learn that he had worked with both my grandfather and father at UNUM, many years earlier. My grandfather died before I was born but it was always fun to hear stories about him from Bob while we birded together — apparently my grandparents played bridge with Bob and his wife regularly! I’ll remember Bob as one of my favorite types of birders, one that could see the beauty in our most common species and share that appreciation with birders of all skill levels.

Marie Jordan: Bob’s wife Jean, who was not a birder, enjoyed a much later start to her day. Bob would get up early to bird with us. Then as the morning flight started to slow down, he would excuse himself and depart in order to be home by the time Jean had finished her breakfast and morning cup of coffee and was ready to do things with him. The best of two worlds that worked for them both.

Pat Sanborn: While this isn’t exactly a birding memory, it happened on one of our many birding field trips. For some reason, I said to Bob, “Let us go then, you and I…,” probably thinking we might move elsewhere for a better look at some bird. Bob immediately responded, “When the evening is spread out against the sky…” Then we both chimed in, reciting together the whole first stanza of T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” It turned out that we both had memorized that poem and had a great love for Eliot’s poetry. It didn’t take much then for Bob to convince me to become secretary for York County Audubon. How could I refuse?

Joanne Stevens: I remember a similar incident with Bob and Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” I had to recite that poem by singing it, as that was how I had learned it! But one of the things I most remember about Bob was that he was always such a gentleman — respectful of people, especially women. He would open doors for you, have you go ahead of him, listen attentively, etc. — old-fashioned courtesies that I found charming. Bob was simply a very nice man and I enjoyed being in his presence.

Marie Jordan and Bob Cash
Marie Jordan, Bob Cash, and Gard Thompson at the 2007 York County Chapter Annual Meeting. (Photo provided by Dave Doubleday)
Bob Cash RIP
Bob Cash was an important Maine Audubon leader, and he will be missed. (Photo provided by Linda Woodard)