Bob McKillip, working on the Picture from the Past in the Adirondack Research Room, 2008. Photograph by Pat Wiley. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 19, 2011 Born: March 15, 1932
Died: March 5, 2011
Robert S. McKillip was the son of Howard and Mary Donovan McKillip of 22 Ampersand Avenue. He attended Saranac Lake High School, where he played string bass in a local orchestra and dance band. He graduated in 1949.
He graduated from Paul Smith's College with a degree in resort management in 1952, and then attended Michigan State, graduating in 1954 with a bachelor's degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management.
Following graduation, he worked in food service at Michigan State until 1958 when he became food service manager at Georgetown University Hospital, and later at Bowling Green University.
Robert McKillip in the 1952 St. Regian, the yearbook of Paul Smiths CollegeIn 1960, he returned to Saranac Lake to become the first manager of the Hotel Saranac for Paul Smith's College, which had just purchased the hotel to use as a practicum site for it's hotel and restaurant students. He also supervised students at Disney World. He became head of the college's program in 1968, and later instituted a Travel and Tourism program, and a Business Administration program. In 1977, he became the business manager of the college, while continuing to teach part time.
He earned a master's degree in education from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1970.
He retired from Paul Smith's College in 1984 and then became food service manager at the Saranac Lake General Hospital, where he worked until 1988.
He worked as an Election Day official and inspector for many years, and was named Franklin County Democrat of the Year.
He worked as a volunteer in the Adirondack Room of the Saranac Lake Free Library for thirteen years, selecting pictures and writing captions for the historical pictures that have been published weekly in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Many authors used his historical knowledge of the area in books and magazine articles.
He was on the Board of Directors of the Saranac Lake Golf Club, and he served as an official of the DeChantal Tenants Association, as treasurer of the Saranac Lake Lions Club, on the St. Bernard's Parish Council and as an usher for St. Bernard's Church. He was an official at the Lake Placid cross country track and ski jumps from 1963 to 2004.
He was a member of the Saranac Lake Knights of Columbus for 36 years and was awarded an honorary Life Membership. Bob was involved in many charity projects and ran the bingo program for the Saranac Lake Council. From 1997 to 2008 he was grand knight and held many other offices over the years. The Saranac Lake Order of the Elks gave him an honorary life membership three years ago. He was North District Chairman of youth activities and community activities for eight years, and was elected state Vice President of the North District.
Source: Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 16, 2011
