From RReNews – 210721 – Our July Mid-Month edition went out yesterday, and this morning we received notice from Bruce Gezon of Bob’s passing. This afternoon, Bob Townsend sent us an email, too. I do wish we had been included in the email notice last week. Be assured, we will be having a piece in our August RReNews and updating this post.
Memories of Bob DeMeritt from Fellow Rallyists Hanson, Townsend, and Babbe
I have only known Bob and Marianne DeMeritt for about 10 or 12 years; it began when they first showed up for one of our monthly rallies of the Champaign County Sports Car Club. Our club, CCSCC, has been putting on rallies since its founding in 1957. We also have a very active autocross program. Many members who have started here have gone on to prominence nationally—the most recent being John Li, who SportsCar featured in a recent issue.
When I first saw the DeMeritts, my thought was that it was good to see new faces, and I’d give them an idea about what to expect at a rally. As I approached their Subaru, I noticed the computer and clipboards. OK, never mind. I believe they took first Overall and continued their winning ways for years since. I usually put on one or two events a year, ending at our home with a cookout. After awards, we got to know them personally, and we discovered Bob to be very accomplished in every endeavor he pursued. They lived in a suburb of Chicago, and for them, it was a 240-mile round trip to enter our events. That’s dedication!
The sport has lost a great rallyist. The team of DeMeritt and DeMeritt will be missed.
Bob and Karen Townsend
I met Bob when he returned to the sport of Road Rally in 2009 and showed up at one of our Indianapolis Region events to “practice.” When I questioned him further, he said that he and his wife Marianne had been CenDiv Rally Champions in 1968 before taking 40 years off to raise a family and run a business.
This comment triggered my memory because in 1968 (before I joined SCCA), I ran two CenDiv Divisional Rallies intending to do the 1969 season and win the Heuer Rookie Award. I confess to being as bad a packrat as Bruce Gezon and Gary Starr, so I quickly pulled out my files to discover that Bob and Marianne had been the lead car for one and competed on the other.
When Bob and Marianne came to another Indy event, Judy, my wife, and I made it a point to get properly introduced and reveal that I had crossed paths with them way back in 1968 (and showed them the proof in print). Of course, we instantly became friends with such a history and made it a practice that we would get together at events. In 2012 Bob took “a leap of faith” and consented to give up the Driver’s seat to navigate for me on Clarence Westberg’s Yucatan Safari National Rally, where we placed first Overall. I told him that he had missed his calling as a Navigator, but he promptly returned to driving, although he had felt it necessary to give up driving on night rallies.
Chuck Hanson
Bob and I had interactions when he served on the National Events Committee. He also reached out to share his appreciation of the efforts that went into RReNews; I do wish we could have all enjoyed his writings about his road rally past from his “early years.” I competed against them on events (well, I attended and entered) in the Midwest. Dedicated to the sport, Bob and Marianne’s enjoyment, no doubt, was dependent on the rally.
Then came our 2017 USRRC interactions…
Richard Wetzel posted his disappointment that the USRRC organizers had not responded to a SCCARoadRally forum in the fourteen hours since John Sears had posted questions. The rallyist expressed his disappointment that PR was about fundraising with little said about the actual events, yet he thought two Divisionals might work. Bob DeMeritt replied, “I strongly agree with Richard. There needs to be a lot more information out there. They have a huge PR job to do if they wish to avoid a fiasco. Also, a better analysis of the costs and the reason for them. I think that trying to piggyback a charity fund raiser on the event is a mistake.”
Background – An issue was resolved at the SCCA Vegas National Convention by the Board of Director Lee Hill, RRB Chairman Rich Bireta, and Rally/Solo Manager Howard Duncan, with Liaison Bob Dowie in attendance. Yet, as the Rallymaster and Organizer, I was stunned those in that forum had not seen information from the various postings. And, worse, that there was no faith in our “little road rally program” in the Arctic!
Our event went forward with twenty-seven entries. We had teams new to the sport and seasoned rallyists from across the US (and one entry from the UK). We raised $3870 for the Rallymaster’s Rallying to Preserve the Historic SCCA Rally Archives campaign through the SCCA Foundation, with our dedicated donation to the International Motor Racing Research Center. Many rallyists have since used those rally archives for ProRally and TSD rallies, archived and scanned with our funds in significant part.
Flash forward to October 1st, about two weeks after the USRRC. I received this message from Bob, “Just want to say “WELL DONE”. When you announced that you would do the USSRC in Alaska I was fearful it would not work. Even several months before, I feared the worst which would be another nail in the rally coffin. Instead, you pulled it off with flying colors. I’m sure it involved a LOT of hard work on your part. And your committee. So, again, congratulations. Appreciatively, Bobd, NEC”
It was refreshing and brought tears to my eyes as it was very unexpected!
Cheryl Babbe
Here is the formal Obituary for Bob and click here for the video – what a wonderful life of adventure and family were shown in the photos!
Robert “Bob” DeMeritt, age 87, of Plainfield, IL, passed away at home on July 13th with his wife Marianne at his side. Bob was born in Oak Park, IL, on July 31, 1933, to Florence (Beatty) and Rex DeMeritt. He attended Oak Park High School and graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in accounting. Bob worked as a computer programmer and systems analyst. Bob and Marianne ran their own company for many years.
Bob was an avid golfer, even tackling prestigious courses in Ireland and Scotland such as St. Andrews. He piloted an RV-6 airplane that he built himself, flying it to Alaska. He also built and flew RC model planes. He loved participating in road rallies where he excelled and was ranked nationally as a driver. Bob is survived by his loving wife Marianne and beloved brother Leland.
Bob has five children Deborah DeMeritt, Diane Williams (Len), JR DeMeritt (Cindy), Michael DeMeritt (Mary), and Frances Kincaid (Jim). He has 15 grandchildren Jessica (Josh), Corinne (Andy), Kori (Sean), Ryan, Kyle (Vanessa), Heather (Joe), Ashley (Tony), Alex (Lauren), Gabrielle, Tommy, Johnny, Maggie, Doug (Vio), Jake and Madison. He also had 10 great-grandchildren Mark, Reid, Dakota, Austin, Mallory, Taylor, Nora, Jillian, Alyssa, Natalie, and loving nieces Pamela (Andrew), Julia (deceased), Lindsay (Reed), Natalie (Joe), and nephew Nick. Also, brother-in-law Archer Stella (Vikki) and great-nephews Jack and Ryan. Bob was predeceased by his parents and brother Randall.
Memorial services will be held at Anderson Memorial Home, 21131 Renwick Road, Plainfield IL on July 27th, 2021 at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you make a donation in Bob’s name to your charity of choice.
In 1968, the local Volvo dealer sent to Sweden and brought back for us a Volvo 123GT, pictured in the article above.
I was the vehicle law enforcement used in Sweden. I had heavy-duty everything. Indestructible.
After that, we retired for a while but he never lost the itch. Thus we went back on the circuit.
