Sponsored by:Paula Casale-Spitler
Robert Edward “Bob” Liebman Veteran
1942 – 2017 Cremated
Photo added by Paula Casale-Spitler
- Birth
-
Studio City, Los Angeles County, California, USA
- Death
- 15 Jun 2017 (aged 74)
Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA
- Burial
-
Cremated
- Memorial ID
- 186042541 View Source
A Living Legend has Passed.
On the morning of June 15th, 2017, Bob Liebman, proprietor of the Bob & Bob Speleo General Store, passed away quietly after a long bout with cancer. He is survived by his brother Bill Liebman, also
a long time caver, and another non-caving brother, Larry.
He was born in July of 1942 in the Studio City section of Los Angeles California. His teen years were spent in the San Francisco Bay area where he attended San Jose State College prior to a stint in the Navy. He was a Viet Nam Veteran. After the Navy he transferred to California State University at Los Angeles. At CSULA he majored in and received a degree in Police Science. He also was a coach for the university bowling team. His lifelong passions were trains, bowling, Froggie (his cat(s)), and caves and caving.
He grew up with his dad's interest in trains and the family pastime of bowling. In 1968 he went on his first caving trip, along with his brother Bill, with a school outings club named the 'Alpiners '. The trip was to Soldiers Cave in California. The club provided the helmets and carbide lamps. In 1969 he located the Southern California Grotto and immediately joined it. Shortly thereafter he found grotto sponsors and
joined the NSS and eventually became a life member.
Caves and cavers then became his primary passion in life. His first convention was Blacksburg in 1971, traveling across country in his blue station wagon with his brother and another Alpiner member. In
1970 at the So Cal Grotto he met Bob Addis. After the 1972 White Salmon, Washington convention the two Bobs were traveling down the coast of Oregon when Bob Liebman stopped and went into an old
hardware store looking for carbide lamps. They had some, so Bob Liebman borrowed money from Bob Addis to purchase them. At that time carbide lamps were getting scarce. Liebman wanted to sell them to cavers who could not find them. They kept looking and buying lamps and parts. OTR 1972 was the very first event for Bob & Bob sales. That was the very beginning of "Bob & Bob" Speleo General Store.
They went on to find items cavers needed and bought those items. They began attending various caving events selling equipment to cavers. Remember 'canvas grip'? In December of 1973 Bob Addis sold out to Liebman but Liebman decided to keep the Bob & Bob name. They had branded themselves as "Cavers Serving Cavers", and that is exactly what Bob Liebman did for forty-five years, serving cavers and the caving community. He attended hundreds of caving events in 35 years, and finihed up as a mail-order business the last ten. Many caves bought light sticks from Bob as kids, and then cave gear when they got older.
Everywhere he went he gave out change with two-dollar bills. While it made making change easier, it was primarily a public relations ploy. Merchants wherever cavers went would experience a sudden influx of two-dollar bills. This would demonstrate to a community the economic impact cavers provided to their businesses and community during their visit. This was emphasized by the fact that cash registers did not have a slot for the two-dollar bills.
In the early seventies brother Bill brought him a white cat while on a caving trip to the Mother Lode area of CA. They went to the Calaveras County Fair there and watched the celebrated Mark Twain jumping
frog contest. That was where his cat got the name of 'Froggie'. His white cat became his mascot and traveled everywhere he went with him to caving events. Over the years he had eight white cats all named Froggie. He led a nomadic life style Spring through Fall, attending and selling equipment at discount prices at most caving events. He strategically located his business in Sinks Grove, West Virginia to maximize shipping expense savings by being located within 500 miles or less of most of the active caving
population. It was, as the name implies, a karst sinkhole topography where he lived.
Many days were spent caving and ridge walking. Sometimes they would go caving at lunch from work. He would often go to farm auctions where they drove potential buyers around the property to view it. He was not interested in buying the farm, he was cleverly getting chauffeured access to look around private land for sinkholes and cave leads where he did not have access otherwise. Over Labor Day 1971 he provided support to Bob Addis' world record stalagmite sitting record at a local commercial cave, Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Bob served 19 years on the NSS BOG, working on many committees. He also spent many years as the NSS liaison with the National Caves Association (the show cave organization.). It is probably safe to say that in his travels and cave owner liaison position Bob Liebman met and made friends with more cavers than any other individual caver ever has. He had a nearly photographic memory. He could recall details of trips decades old and people he had met. This was most apparent his last few months when several of us spent time with him sharing stories of the 'old days'. He could remember people, trip details, and restaurants that none of the rest of us could.
The first year of 'Bob & Bob' at Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia was also the beginning of the famous OTR t-shirt series featuring a carbide lamp. The 1972 OTR t-shirt may have been the first commercially
made caving t-shirt. There were a total of 33 different carbide lamp t-shirts, 1972 to 2006. [In '76 and '79, the staff only allowed shirts with the OTR logo.] His advertising featured the distinctive art work and humor of California caver Bruce Davis. There were over 70 unique pieces of Bruce's art work used over the span of 45 years. Those paying close attention over the years noticed most featured Froggie the cat
peeking out from somewhere in the image.
He was always promoting caving and the NSS to people everywhere he went. He gave out NSS brochures and NSS applications to non-NSS member customers. His dedication was such that just two weeks
before passing he was having us bring him NSS membership information from the shop for him to give to staff members of the nursing facility where he was staying. Bob Liebman was truly a caver's caver
in every sense of the word. R.I.P Bob……..
Bill Liebman
On the morning of June 15th, 2017, Bob Liebman, proprietor of the Bob & Bob Speleo General Store, passed away quietly after a long bout with cancer. He is survived by his brother Bill Liebman, also
a long time caver, and another non-caving brother, Larry.
He was born in July of 1942 in the Studio City section of Los Angeles California. His teen years were spent in the San Francisco Bay area where he attended San Jose State College prior to a stint in the Navy. He was a Viet Nam Veteran. After the Navy he transferred to California State University at Los Angeles. At CSULA he majored in and received a degree in Police Science. He also was a coach for the university bowling team. His lifelong passions were trains, bowling, Froggie (his cat(s)), and caves and caving.
He grew up with his dad's interest in trains and the family pastime of bowling. In 1968 he went on his first caving trip, along with his brother Bill, with a school outings club named the 'Alpiners '. The trip was to Soldiers Cave in California. The club provided the helmets and carbide lamps. In 1969 he located the Southern California Grotto and immediately joined it. Shortly thereafter he found grotto sponsors and
joined the NSS and eventually became a life member.
Caves and cavers then became his primary passion in life. His first convention was Blacksburg in 1971, traveling across country in his blue station wagon with his brother and another Alpiner member. In
1970 at the So Cal Grotto he met Bob Addis. After the 1972 White Salmon, Washington convention the two Bobs were traveling down the coast of Oregon when Bob Liebman stopped and went into an old
hardware store looking for carbide lamps. They had some, so Bob Liebman borrowed money from Bob Addis to purchase them. At that time carbide lamps were getting scarce. Liebman wanted to sell them to cavers who could not find them. They kept looking and buying lamps and parts. OTR 1972 was the very first event for Bob & Bob sales. That was the very beginning of "Bob & Bob" Speleo General Store.
They went on to find items cavers needed and bought those items. They began attending various caving events selling equipment to cavers. Remember 'canvas grip'? In December of 1973 Bob Addis sold out to Liebman but Liebman decided to keep the Bob & Bob name. They had branded themselves as "Cavers Serving Cavers", and that is exactly what Bob Liebman did for forty-five years, serving cavers and the caving community. He attended hundreds of caving events in 35 years, and finihed up as a mail-order business the last ten. Many caves bought light sticks from Bob as kids, and then cave gear when they got older.
Everywhere he went he gave out change with two-dollar bills. While it made making change easier, it was primarily a public relations ploy. Merchants wherever cavers went would experience a sudden influx of two-dollar bills. This would demonstrate to a community the economic impact cavers provided to their businesses and community during their visit. This was emphasized by the fact that cash registers did not have a slot for the two-dollar bills.
In the early seventies brother Bill brought him a white cat while on a caving trip to the Mother Lode area of CA. They went to the Calaveras County Fair there and watched the celebrated Mark Twain jumping
frog contest. That was where his cat got the name of 'Froggie'. His white cat became his mascot and traveled everywhere he went with him to caving events. Over the years he had eight white cats all named Froggie. He led a nomadic life style Spring through Fall, attending and selling equipment at discount prices at most caving events. He strategically located his business in Sinks Grove, West Virginia to maximize shipping expense savings by being located within 500 miles or less of most of the active caving
population. It was, as the name implies, a karst sinkhole topography where he lived.
Many days were spent caving and ridge walking. Sometimes they would go caving at lunch from work. He would often go to farm auctions where they drove potential buyers around the property to view it. He was not interested in buying the farm, he was cleverly getting chauffeured access to look around private land for sinkholes and cave leads where he did not have access otherwise. Over Labor Day 1971 he provided support to Bob Addis' world record stalagmite sitting record at a local commercial cave, Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Bob served 19 years on the NSS BOG, working on many committees. He also spent many years as the NSS liaison with the National Caves Association (the show cave organization.). It is probably safe to say that in his travels and cave owner liaison position Bob Liebman met and made friends with more cavers than any other individual caver ever has. He had a nearly photographic memory. He could recall details of trips decades old and people he had met. This was most apparent his last few months when several of us spent time with him sharing stories of the 'old days'. He could remember people, trip details, and restaurants that none of the rest of us could.
The first year of 'Bob & Bob' at Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia was also the beginning of the famous OTR t-shirt series featuring a carbide lamp. The 1972 OTR t-shirt may have been the first commercially
made caving t-shirt. There were a total of 33 different carbide lamp t-shirts, 1972 to 2006. [In '76 and '79, the staff only allowed shirts with the OTR logo.] His advertising featured the distinctive art work and humor of California caver Bruce Davis. There were over 70 unique pieces of Bruce's art work used over the span of 45 years. Those paying close attention over the years noticed most featured Froggie the cat
peeking out from somewhere in the image.
He was always promoting caving and the NSS to people everywhere he went. He gave out NSS brochures and NSS applications to non-NSS member customers. His dedication was such that just two weeks
before passing he was having us bring him NSS membership information from the shop for him to give to staff members of the nursing facility where he was staying. Bob Liebman was truly a caver's caver
in every sense of the word. R.I.P Bob……..
Bill Liebman
A Living Legend has Passed.
On the morning of June 15th, 2017, Bob Liebman, proprietor of the Bob & Bob Speleo General Store, passed away quietly after a long bout with cancer. He is survived by his brother Bill Liebman, also
a long time caver, and another non-caving brother, Larry.
He was born in July of 1942 in the Studio City section of Los Angeles California. His teen years were spent in the San Francisco Bay area where he attended San Jose State College prior to a stint in the Navy. He was a Viet Nam Veteran. After the Navy he transferred to California State University at Los Angeles. At CSULA he majored in and received a degree in Police Science. He also was a coach for the university bowling team. His lifelong passions were trains, bowling, Froggie (his cat(s)), and caves and caving.
He grew up with his dad's interest in trains and the family pastime of bowling. In 1968 he went on his first caving trip, along with his brother Bill, with a school outings club named the 'Alpiners '. The trip was to Soldiers Cave in California. The club provided the helmets and carbide lamps. In 1969 he located the Southern California Grotto and immediately joined it. Shortly thereafter he found grotto sponsors and
joined the NSS and eventually became a life member.
Caves and cavers then became his primary passion in life. His first convention was Blacksburg in 1971, traveling across country in his blue station wagon with his brother and another Alpiner member. In
1970 at the So Cal Grotto he met Bob Addis. After the 1972 White Salmon, Washington convention the two Bobs were traveling down the coast of Oregon when Bob Liebman stopped and went into an old
hardware store looking for carbide lamps. They had some, so Bob Liebman borrowed money from Bob Addis to purchase them. At that time carbide lamps were getting scarce. Liebman wanted to sell them to cavers who could not find them. They kept looking and buying lamps and parts. OTR 1972 was the very first event for Bob & Bob sales. That was the very beginning of "Bob & Bob" Speleo General Store.
They went on to find items cavers needed and bought those items. They began attending various caving events selling equipment to cavers. Remember 'canvas grip'? In December of 1973 Bob Addis sold out to Liebman but Liebman decided to keep the Bob & Bob name. They had branded themselves as "Cavers Serving Cavers", and that is exactly what Bob Liebman did for forty-five years, serving cavers and the caving community. He attended hundreds of caving events in 35 years, and finihed up as a mail-order business the last ten. Many caves bought light sticks from Bob as kids, and then cave gear when they got older.
Everywhere he went he gave out change with two-dollar bills. While it made making change easier, it was primarily a public relations ploy. Merchants wherever cavers went would experience a sudden influx of two-dollar bills. This would demonstrate to a community the economic impact cavers provided to their businesses and community during their visit. This was emphasized by the fact that cash registers did not have a slot for the two-dollar bills.
In the early seventies brother Bill brought him a white cat while on a caving trip to the Mother Lode area of CA. They went to the Calaveras County Fair there and watched the celebrated Mark Twain jumping
frog contest. That was where his cat got the name of 'Froggie'. His white cat became his mascot and traveled everywhere he went with him to caving events. Over the years he had eight white cats all named Froggie. He led a nomadic life style Spring through Fall, attending and selling equipment at discount prices at most caving events. He strategically located his business in Sinks Grove, West Virginia to maximize shipping expense savings by being located within 500 miles or less of most of the active caving
population. It was, as the name implies, a karst sinkhole topography where he lived.
Many days were spent caving and ridge walking. Sometimes they would go caving at lunch from work. He would often go to farm auctions where they drove potential buyers around the property to view it. He was not interested in buying the farm, he was cleverly getting chauffeured access to look around private land for sinkholes and cave leads where he did not have access otherwise. Over Labor Day 1971 he provided support to Bob Addis' world record stalagmite sitting record at a local commercial cave, Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Bob served 19 years on the NSS BOG, working on many committees. He also spent many years as the NSS liaison with the National Caves Association (the show cave organization.). It is probably safe to say that in his travels and cave owner liaison position Bob Liebman met and made friends with more cavers than any other individual caver ever has. He had a nearly photographic memory. He could recall details of trips decades old and people he had met. This was most apparent his last few months when several of us spent time with him sharing stories of the 'old days'. He could remember people, trip details, and restaurants that none of the rest of us could.
The first year of 'Bob & Bob' at Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia was also the beginning of the famous OTR t-shirt series featuring a carbide lamp. The 1972 OTR t-shirt may have been the first commercially
made caving t-shirt. There were a total of 33 different carbide lamp t-shirts, 1972 to 2006. [In '76 and '79, the staff only allowed shirts with the OTR logo.] His advertising featured the distinctive art work and humor of California caver Bruce Davis. There were over 70 unique pieces of Bruce's art work used over the span of 45 years. Those paying close attention over the years noticed most featured Froggie the cat
peeking out from somewhere in the image.
He was always promoting caving and the NSS to people everywhere he went. He gave out NSS brochures and NSS applications to non-NSS member customers. His dedication was such that just two weeks
before passing he was having us bring him NSS membership information from the shop for him to give to staff members of the nursing facility where he was staying. Bob Liebman was truly a caver's caver
in every sense of the word. R.I.P Bob……..
Bill Liebman
On the morning of June 15th, 2017, Bob Liebman, proprietor of the Bob & Bob Speleo General Store, passed away quietly after a long bout with cancer. He is survived by his brother Bill Liebman, also
a long time caver, and another non-caving brother, Larry.
He was born in July of 1942 in the Studio City section of Los Angeles California. His teen years were spent in the San Francisco Bay area where he attended San Jose State College prior to a stint in the Navy. He was a Viet Nam Veteran. After the Navy he transferred to California State University at Los Angeles. At CSULA he majored in and received a degree in Police Science. He also was a coach for the university bowling team. His lifelong passions were trains, bowling, Froggie (his cat(s)), and caves and caving.
He grew up with his dad's interest in trains and the family pastime of bowling. In 1968 he went on his first caving trip, along with his brother Bill, with a school outings club named the 'Alpiners '. The trip was to Soldiers Cave in California. The club provided the helmets and carbide lamps. In 1969 he located the Southern California Grotto and immediately joined it. Shortly thereafter he found grotto sponsors and
joined the NSS and eventually became a life member.
Caves and cavers then became his primary passion in life. His first convention was Blacksburg in 1971, traveling across country in his blue station wagon with his brother and another Alpiner member. In
1970 at the So Cal Grotto he met Bob Addis. After the 1972 White Salmon, Washington convention the two Bobs were traveling down the coast of Oregon when Bob Liebman stopped and went into an old
hardware store looking for carbide lamps. They had some, so Bob Liebman borrowed money from Bob Addis to purchase them. At that time carbide lamps were getting scarce. Liebman wanted to sell them to cavers who could not find them. They kept looking and buying lamps and parts. OTR 1972 was the very first event for Bob & Bob sales. That was the very beginning of "Bob & Bob" Speleo General Store.
They went on to find items cavers needed and bought those items. They began attending various caving events selling equipment to cavers. Remember 'canvas grip'? In December of 1973 Bob Addis sold out to Liebman but Liebman decided to keep the Bob & Bob name. They had branded themselves as "Cavers Serving Cavers", and that is exactly what Bob Liebman did for forty-five years, serving cavers and the caving community. He attended hundreds of caving events in 35 years, and finihed up as a mail-order business the last ten. Many caves bought light sticks from Bob as kids, and then cave gear when they got older.
Everywhere he went he gave out change with two-dollar bills. While it made making change easier, it was primarily a public relations ploy. Merchants wherever cavers went would experience a sudden influx of two-dollar bills. This would demonstrate to a community the economic impact cavers provided to their businesses and community during their visit. This was emphasized by the fact that cash registers did not have a slot for the two-dollar bills.
In the early seventies brother Bill brought him a white cat while on a caving trip to the Mother Lode area of CA. They went to the Calaveras County Fair there and watched the celebrated Mark Twain jumping
frog contest. That was where his cat got the name of 'Froggie'. His white cat became his mascot and traveled everywhere he went with him to caving events. Over the years he had eight white cats all named Froggie. He led a nomadic life style Spring through Fall, attending and selling equipment at discount prices at most caving events. He strategically located his business in Sinks Grove, West Virginia to maximize shipping expense savings by being located within 500 miles or less of most of the active caving
population. It was, as the name implies, a karst sinkhole topography where he lived.
Many days were spent caving and ridge walking. Sometimes they would go caving at lunch from work. He would often go to farm auctions where they drove potential buyers around the property to view it. He was not interested in buying the farm, he was cleverly getting chauffeured access to look around private land for sinkholes and cave leads where he did not have access otherwise. Over Labor Day 1971 he provided support to Bob Addis' world record stalagmite sitting record at a local commercial cave, Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Bob served 19 years on the NSS BOG, working on many committees. He also spent many years as the NSS liaison with the National Caves Association (the show cave organization.). It is probably safe to say that in his travels and cave owner liaison position Bob Liebman met and made friends with more cavers than any other individual caver ever has. He had a nearly photographic memory. He could recall details of trips decades old and people he had met. This was most apparent his last few months when several of us spent time with him sharing stories of the 'old days'. He could remember people, trip details, and restaurants that none of the rest of us could.
The first year of 'Bob & Bob' at Old Timers Reunion in West Virginia was also the beginning of the famous OTR t-shirt series featuring a carbide lamp. The 1972 OTR t-shirt may have been the first commercially
made caving t-shirt. There were a total of 33 different carbide lamp t-shirts, 1972 to 2006. [In '76 and '79, the staff only allowed shirts with the OTR logo.] His advertising featured the distinctive art work and humor of California caver Bruce Davis. There were over 70 unique pieces of Bruce's art work used over the span of 45 years. Those paying close attention over the years noticed most featured Froggie the cat
peeking out from somewhere in the image.
He was always promoting caving and the NSS to people everywhere he went. He gave out NSS brochures and NSS applications to non-NSS member customers. His dedication was such that just two weeks
before passing he was having us bring him NSS membership information from the shop for him to give to staff members of the nursing facility where he was staying. Bob Liebman was truly a caver's caver
in every sense of the word. R.I.P Bob……..
Bill Liebman
Family Members
Children
Sponsored by Paula Casale-Spitler
- Created by: Paula Casale-Spitler
- Added: Dec 21, 2017
- Find a Grave Memorial ID:
-
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186042541/robert_edward-liebman: accessed ), memorial page for Robert Edward “Bob” Liebman (8 Jul 1942–15 Jun 2017), Find a Grave Memorial ID 186042541; Cremated; Maintained by Paula Casale-Spitler (contributor 46982948).
