Bob Fiala was a devoted, kind, gentle man that loved to serve his country, community and God. Born in Aurora, IL the only child of James Anton and Arline Sophia Fiala. His childhood years were spent in Downer Grove, IL where he attended school, graduating third in his class in 1937. He became an avid Cub fan in 1927, and although he never saw them win the world series, he watched nearly every game for 83 years. He attended the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago on a full scholarship in chemical engineering. During this time, he was an accomplished musician and lover of fine music, playing clarinet in school and community bands, most notably a clarinet quartet which won state and national honors. Bob's love of music also had him singing in two school operettas and a capella choirs, that performed in the 1933-34, Century of Progress exhibitions in Chicago. He supported and attended the Springfield Symphony regularly since retiring here in 1972. As a United States Coast Guard veteran of WWII (1942-1945), he achieved the highest enlisted rank of Chief Petty Officer, serving on the USS Ricketts on destroyer escort duty in the North Atlantic and the South Pacific theaters of war. During that time he was selected on four Coast Guard all star teams; basketball, (at one time he played an exhibition game with the Harlem Globetrotters), fast and slow pitch softball and bowling. Taking up golf at the age of 35, he scored 13 holes in one, including seven here in Springfield after his retirement. He retired from Burlington Northern Railroad in 1972. He started as a very young man, (they called him "Boy") in 1937 as an accounting department clerk, he held successive positions in advertising, transportation and traffic. Upon his return from the war, he became chief clerk then was promoted to city freight agent in 1955 and then assistant manager, merchandise traffic in 1956. He was elected Vice-President-Traffic in 1963. He became President of Burlington Truck Lines in 1966 and then President of Burlington Northern Transport Inc. in 1971. Serving was what he loved, he served on two city councils, was President of Galesburg Civic Art League and Knox county YMCA. He also served on the Galesburg Chamber of Commerce, the Jaycees, the Chapter of National Secretaries Association, where he was the boss of the year in 1967 and was an Executive Board member of Boy Scouts of America. A rotarian for 45 years, he was a member of the Rotary Foundation and President of Sunrise Rotary here in Springfield. He was devoted to his wife Kathi, they were married for 52 years before she preceded him in death in 2007. The couple married June 25, 1955 in Pleasant Hill, IL and moved to Springfield, MO upon retirement. They became active members of First and Calvary Presbyterian Church where Bob served as secretary of the Presbytery committee. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 AM, Thursday, December 2, 2010 in Missouri Veterans Cemetery under the direction of Gorman-Scharpf Brentwood Chapel. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the First and Calvary Presbyterian Church Foundation, 820 East Cherry, Springfield, MO 65806. "Love has its sonnets galore. War has its epics in heroic verse. Tragedy its sombre story in measured lines. Baseball has Casey at the Bat"- Albert Spalding