John passed very suddenly in November 2013 in Evanston IL. John was my best friend since second grade at Kilgour grade school in Mt. Lookout Cincy. He lived a couple of blocks from me at 1215 Corbett Street (phone EA-3951) and whenever I'm in Cincy I drive by there and reminisce about our play time growing up together. Couple of years ago I reported to him that Corbett Street had just been rebricked. We both attended Knox Church, did Scouting there in Troop 5, played Knot Hole baseball, church league basketball, and carpooled to Walnut Hills HS. John and I attended a World Series game against the Yankees in 1961--I traveled in from Miami U at Oxford, and he came down from Northwestern, for the game--Whitey Ford pitched and Mantle and Maris hit--to the disadvantage of the Reds. I have seen John and wife Bobby many times over the years and particularly enjoyed their visits to my home in Honolulu in the '90s. I sure miss our quarterly phone conversations and the thought of seeing him and Bobby sometime soon. Reese Liggett
Marcia's comments about John Bard and his family prompted me to post my remarks at John's Memorial Service in Evanston, Illinois on November 14, 2013.
If you don't remember me, I moved to New Jersey in March of our Junior year.
I'm John Campbell. John and I were lifelong best friends. John was a great man. He was a gift to everyone in this sanctuary.
The most important part of John's life was his family. He deeply loved Bobbie. When he told me that he had met her at Northwestern, he said she was kind, generous and so much fun. When I met Bobbie, it was apparent that she embodied the values he prized; and he honored and cherished them in her forever.
Christie and Steve and Liz, you meant the world to him. And then his world of love expanded exponentially with his great embrace of his grandsons--Pete, Sam, Jack, Luke and Ryan. Boys, your grandfather told me often about each of you with so much love and happiness.
Now I want to tell you what John meant to me. From the day John and I met in the seventh grade, we were joined at the hip. I first met him in a Sunday School class in Cincinnati; the next day we were in the same homeroom class. We played football, basketball and baseball together on organized teams, in backyards, the golf course and on streets. We were in the same school fraternity and, after the seventh grade, we'd visit together in our homerooms every day before school. I'm sure I could count on one hand the number of days during all those school years that we were not together.
The most bonding of our experiences however, was our high school football team. When I'd miss a block, John, who was our fullback, would either run over the guy or scoot around him. You'll be interested to know that John still holds the record for the longest touchdown run, 95 yards, in Walnut Hills' history.
I must confess, we both had some problems with our fathers and we looked to our football coach (Dean Giacometti) for strength and guidance.When John was looking for a summer job, Coach told him to take his dad's lawnmower, knock on some doors, and then, do a great job. The upshot of this is that he cut grass for a senior executive of P&G, did his usual great job, and that man insisted that John join P&G after college. We all know where that led.
Our bond extended beyond the school year into the summers--hitch-hiking rides to Crosley Field to watch the Reds play and taking buses all over Cincinnati to play baseball in summer leagues.
Before entering Northwestern, I'll tell you something about John that you don't know--he declined a full scholarship to Harvard. What does that tell you about John? He was deeply committed to his Midwestern values of honesty, forthrightness and no frills.
Our great friendship continued throughout our lives. I was an usher in John and Bobbie's wedding in Princeton. My wife and I loved our times together over the decades in Chicago, Hilton Head, New Jersey and New York. The four of us were planning to have dinner in New York on December 11th. Our conversations were endless: families, careers, life changes, good times, tough times. John was always there.
Many people are not fortunate enough to have a lifelong best friend, and of those who do, none could have been more blessed than I. This is what he meant to me: steadfast, loyal, highly principled, deeply interested in my well-being, a rock of common sense and good judgment, and a sly sense of humor. John always said it like it was. For him, I will always be thankful.
I was not a lifelong friend of John Bard, as were Reece Liggett and John Campbell, who submitted their fond and extensive memories earlier. However, John and I formed a much more frivolous connection in those first scary days of the seventh grade.
While we came from different backgrounds and had many friends from our old grade schools to hang out with in homeroom 232B, John and I immediately connected, to the extent that we soon created an eccentric funeral home with dozens of dumb advertisements, such as, "You stab 'em, we slab 'em," "You whack 'em, we stack 'em," and "You slash 'em, we stash 'em." As you might guess, we would laugh together hysterically every time, probably ducking down so the teacher couldn't see us. I am pretty sure note-passing was also involved. I can't remember any more ads, but I do know that "for an extra five dollars we even prop you up in the back seat."
I saw John at several reunions and always reminded him of those more whimsical days. He sort of remembered.
At our last reunion I had a very meaningful conversation with John. Our paths had crossed only briefly, because I came late and John left early.
John shared his experience at P&G. He had admired my father, which led to a deep talk about changing corporate values. It left an indelible impression of an exceptionally fine man.
William Reese Liggett
John passed very suddenly in November 2013 in Evanston IL. John was my best friend since second grade at Kilgour grade school in Mt. Lookout Cincy. He lived a couple of blocks from me at 1215 Corbett Street (phone EA-3951) and whenever I'm in Cincy I drive by there and reminisce about our play time growing up together. Couple of years ago I reported to him that Corbett Street had just been rebricked. We both attended Knox Church, did Scouting there in Troop 5, played Knot Hole baseball, church league basketball, and carpooled to Walnut Hills HS. John and I attended a World Series game against the Yankees in 1961--I traveled in from Miami U at Oxford, and he came down from Northwestern, for the game--Whitey Ford pitched and Mantle and Maris hit--to the disadvantage of the Reds. I have seen John and wife Bobby many times over the years and particularly enjoyed their visits to my home in Honolulu in the '90s. I sure miss our quarterly phone conversations and the thought of seeing him and Bobby sometime soon. Reese Liggett
Marcia D. High (Pursley)
When I learned that a local reporter for the Idaho Statesman, Steve Bard, was John's son I somehow
linked up with John and Bobby on one of their visits to Boise. They came out to my house and we
had a great talk. They invited me to a rehearsal of this amazing local dance troupe, the Trey McIntyre Dance,
and we all went. The director worked out routines with the dancers and this in itself was a work of art and I felt
fortunate to get a look behind the scenes.
I never really knew John that much in high school but during this "brief encounter" I got to know a gentle man
of real substance. And I really liked Bobby. His death was so sudden--very hard to believe.
I hope that Bobby will come to the reunion.
Marcia High Pursley
John D. Campbell
Marcia's comments about John Bard and his family prompted me to post my remarks at John's Memorial Service in Evanston, Illinois on November 14, 2013.
If you don't remember me, I moved to New Jersey in March of our Junior year.
I'm John Campbell. John and I were lifelong best friends. John was a great man. He was a gift to everyone in this sanctuary.
The most important part of John's life was his family. He deeply loved Bobbie. When he told me that he had met her at Northwestern, he said she was kind, generous and so much fun. When I met Bobbie, it was apparent that she embodied the values he prized; and he honored and cherished them in her forever.
Christie and Steve and Liz, you meant the world to him. And then his world of love expanded exponentially with his great embrace of his grandsons--Pete, Sam, Jack, Luke and Ryan. Boys, your grandfather told me often about each of you with so much love and happiness.
Now I want to tell you what John meant to me. From the day John and I met in the seventh grade, we were joined at the hip. I first met him in a Sunday School class in Cincinnati; the next day we were in the same homeroom class. We played football, basketball and baseball together on organized teams, in backyards, the golf course and on streets. We were in the same school fraternity and, after the seventh grade, we'd visit together in our homerooms every day before school. I'm sure I could count on one hand the number of days during all those school years that we were not together.
The most bonding of our experiences however, was our high school football team. When I'd miss a block, John, who was our fullback, would either run over the guy or scoot around him. You'll be interested to know that John still holds the record for the longest touchdown run, 95 yards, in Walnut Hills' history.
I must confess, we both had some problems with our fathers and we looked to our football coach (Dean Giacometti) for strength and guidance.When John was looking for a summer job, Coach told him to take his dad's lawnmower, knock on some doors, and then, do a great job. The upshot of this is that he cut grass for a senior executive of P&G, did his usual great job, and that man insisted that John join P&G after college. We all know where that led.
Our bond extended beyond the school year into the summers--hitch-hiking rides to Crosley Field to watch the Reds play and taking buses all over Cincinnati to play baseball in summer leagues.
Before entering Northwestern, I'll tell you something about John that you don't know--he declined a full scholarship to Harvard. What does that tell you about John? He was deeply committed to his Midwestern values of honesty, forthrightness and no frills.
Our great friendship continued throughout our lives. I was an usher in John and Bobbie's wedding in Princeton. My wife and I loved our times together over the decades in Chicago, Hilton Head, New Jersey and New York. The four of us were planning to have dinner in New York on December 11th. Our conversations were endless: families, careers, life changes, good times, tough times. John was always there.
Many people are not fortunate enough to have a lifelong best friend, and of those who do, none could have been more blessed than I. This is what he meant to me: steadfast, loyal, highly principled, deeply interested in my well-being, a rock of common sense and good judgment, and a sly sense of humor. John always said it like it was. For him, I will always be thankful.
Stephen R. Felson
I was not a lifelong friend of John Bard, as were Reece Liggett and John Campbell, who submitted their fond and extensive memories earlier. However, John and I formed a much more frivolous connection in those first scary days of the seventh grade.
While we came from different backgrounds and had many friends from our old grade schools to hang out with in homeroom 232B, John and I immediately connected, to the extent that we soon created an eccentric funeral home with dozens of dumb advertisements, such as, "You stab 'em, we slab 'em," "You whack 'em, we stack 'em," and "You slash 'em, we stash 'em." As you might guess, we would laugh together hysterically every time, probably ducking down so the teacher couldn't see us. I am pretty sure note-passing was also involved. I can't remember any more ads, but I do know that "for an extra five dollars we even prop you up in the back seat."
I saw John at several reunions and always reminded him of those more whimsical days. He sort of remembered.
Ledlie Dinsmore (Bell)
At our last reunion I had a very meaningful conversation with John. Our paths had crossed only briefly, because I came late and John left early.
John shared his experience at P&G. He had admired my father, which led to a deep talk about changing corporate values. It left an indelible impression of an exceptionally fine man.
Ledlie Dinsmore Bell