Honor Robert D. Vanderminden Sr.

Senate Resolution No. 293 BY: Senator LITTLE MOURNING the death of Robert D. Vanderminden Sr., distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community WHEREAS, It is with feelings of deepest regret that this Legislative Body records the passing of Robert D. Vanderminden Sr., an extraordinary man of indomitable faith and dedication whose purposeful life will long serve as a standard to which others might aspire; and WHEREAS, Robert "Bob" D. Vanderminden Sr. of Granville, New York, died on Thursday, December 27, 2018, at the age of 91; and WHEREAS, Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1927, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. was the son of Henry J.W. and Cecile L. (Huelsman) Vanderminden Jr.; and WHEREAS, By the time of his birth, the manufacturing operation of the cot and camp stool company his grandfather founded in 1903 had moved upstate to Granville; in 1932, the company's administrative offices, as well as the Vanderminden family also relocated to the area; and WHEREAS, The Telescope Cot Bed & Novelty Company, named for the telescoping legs on the cots and camp stools it manufactured, provided steady employment throughout his teenage years; at 14, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. worked in the sawmill yard; at 15, he added responsibilities for repairing sewing machines, and at 16, he moved to the machine shop where he welded and made storage racks; and WHEREAS, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. ventured outside the family business long enough to spend a year at the Coast Guard Academy where he developed a love of sailing, and to earn a degree in mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and WHEREAS, During this time, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. began driving home on weekends to redesign his family business' line of wood furniture; this began more than 60 years of innovative product, machinery, process and plant design which transformed both the company, and eventually, the entire casual furniture industry; and WHEREAS, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. and the former Lois Clarkson were united in marriage in 1954, and together raised five children; and WHEREAS, This extraordinary man was named to Telescope's Board of Directors in 1967, and became the Executive Vice President of the company in 1971; he went on to serve as CEO from 1989 until 2001, when he was named Chairman of the Board; and WHEREAS, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. was instrumental in the company's designation as recipient of countless awards and accolades, including the 2008 Design Excellence Award for his popular Leeward Sling Collection design; and WHEREAS, Additionally, he was the recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Casual Furnishing Association, which is reserved for individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the casual furniture industry as well as to their individual communities; and WHEREAS, A true asset to his community, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. combined his personal passion for baseball with more than six decades of Telescope corporate support to create a Granville Little League organization, involving more than 500 youngsters from local and surrounding communities; and WHEREAS, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. will forever be remembered for the investment he made in a lifetime nurturing three treasures: his family, the business his family created, and the community where both reside; and WHEREAS, Predeceased by his parents, Henry and Cecile; his brother, Henry J. W. Vanderminden III; and his wife, Lois, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. is survived by his five children, Robert Jr. (Mary), Katherine (David), Nancy, Carol and William (Meredith); 18 grandchildren, Robert III, Jennifer, Adam (Kate), Jared, Hannah, Kaela (Bruce), Sarah (Jacob), Greta (Matthew), Kaitlynn (Edwin), Maxx, Ciara, Christopher, Lyndsey (Jacob), Timothy (Ashley), Jessica (Gregory), Robert (Tarah), Luke and Grace; 16 great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Virginia; and WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of compassion, Robert D. Vanderminden Sr. leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to mourn the death of Robert D. Vanderminden Sr., distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the family of Robert D. Vanderminden Sr.