Posted by Norman Smith on April 30, 2010:

Bob Michela was a wonderful man. Sarah and I got to know Bob and Catherine on the West Point ski trips and in many visits with them at our homes in the Vail, Colorado area. I believe that Bob was the nicest man that I ever met. He was thoughtful and caring and possessed a great, warm, self-deprecating sense of humor. He worked very hard to ensure that everyone who attended the class ski trips had an excellent experience. He would go out of his way to make newcomers feel comfortable and part of the group. His briefings and awards presentations were always a high point of the trip. Bob was a terrific skier. He also was an accomplished tennis player, competing at the national level in United States Tennis Association championship events. In addition to his skiing abilities, he was an expert in all types of ski equipment and ski clothes and loved steering the uninformed among us to the correct ski, boot or jacket. Bob was the only person I knew who may have enjoyed shopping in ski towns more than my wife, Sarah. He knew the shop owners and they knew him. There is an old fifties song by the Teddy Bears called "To Know Him Is To Love Him". That song could have been written about Bob Michela. He cared about people and they cared about him. Sarah and I will miss him immensely. We'll miss his smile, his gentle voice, and his caring manner. He fought a brave fight against a horrible disease. We loved Bob Michela. Our hearts go out to Catherine and their daughters. We've all lost a great friend.

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