Thirsters to Celebrate the Life of Robert Bayard Textor

A note from the Textor family:

ROBERT BAYARD TEXTOR, MARCH 13, 1923–JANUARY 3, 2013

Dear Thirsters in Residence and in Absentia,

Many of you will already have heard the sad news that our father passed away in the early morning hours of January 3, 2013.

Robert Bayard Textor was born, not so peacefully, in his parents’ bed in the middle of a Minnesota snowstorm; he died, peacefully, in his own bed, in the city he loved, full of excitement about the coming day’s “barn-burner” of a Thirster talk. In the interim, he lived in half a dozen countries, learned half a dozen languages, and had enough adventures to make Phileas Fogg (and possibly even Don Draper) green with envy.

Reflecting on our father’s life, it occurs to us that the sheer unexpectedness of his passing is, in a way, the greatest possible testament to him. If the death of an almost-nonagenarian can ever be considered shocking, his certainly was. No one saw it coming: not the doctors who so capably shepherded him through open-heart surgery this past June, nor the many wonderful nurses and physical and occupational therapists who helped him recover, slowly but surely. Nor did the Thirsters. And nor, blessedly, did he.

On the penultimate day of his life, Dad cheered Stanford to victory in the Rose Bowl, enjoyed a last-of-season Burgerville eggnog milkshake, and let his daughter beat him at Trivial Pursuit. On the ultimate day, he ate a peanut butter-and-mayonnaise sandwich, enjoyed a two-hour Thai massage, and registered for Skype. He was, to the very end, beautifully, irrepressively alive.

Dad never knew that his children had begun planning a surprise party for him, to take place (where else?) at the Topping Table (at McMenamins Pub at the corner of 23rd and Savior NW – 1716 NW 23rd Ave – Portland) on March 14, 2013, the day after his 90^th birthday. Sadly, the surprise will never take place; but the celebration will. Please mark your calendars for a “barn-burner” of a memorial service to be held that day.

In recent weeks, the topic of whether Dad himself had ever been the special guest speaker at Thirsters happened to arise. He replied, with due gravity, that he had not, deeming it inappropriate. We hope that you will join us at Thirsters this coming Thursday, January 10, to celebrate Dad’s life, share your favorite Bob stories, and raise a glass to him, our Thirster in Absentia who will always remain in residence in our hearts.

Alex Robertson Textor
alexrobertsontextor@gmail.com

Marisa Robertson-Textor
marisinka@gmail.com