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IN MEMORIAM
ROBERT MASSEY
1921-2008 |
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On November 8, 2008 Robert ''Farmer Bob'' Massey, 86, died in Fair Oaks. He was known as a historian, a character, a friend to many, an institution, and even a legend in the community. Bob was President of the Auburn Dam Council.
As “Farmer Bob”, Massey ran a pumpkin patch and truck farm off Sunset in Fair Oaks where he drove his tractor around charming children and their Moms and Dads. As a local historian, Massey was in the habit of correcting reporters and the Fair Oaks Historical Society for their errors. Massey once corrected a newspaper’s location of a fire in 1936. He had been there as a volunteer in the Fair Oaks Fire Department fighting the fire with buckets of water and burlap sacks.
One of his many legacies, some yet to be realized, is the construction of a multipurpose Auburn Dam which will one day protect the Sacramento region from catastrophic floods, drought and power black outs. For decades, Robert Massey carried the torch; giving speeches wherever asked and inviting elected officials and experts to speak before the ADC. The Auburn Dam became part of state planning in the twenties, about when Bob was born. A dilatory Congress didn’t get around to authorizing the Auburn Project until 1965. An earthquake, environmentalists and bureaucrats delayed the project afterwards, but Robert Massey and the ADC kept the spark alive. His toughness and determination was expressed with his bumper sticker, “Build it Dam it.”
Almost exactly a month before a state bureaucracy planned to take away the water rights of the Auburn project, Bob Massey died. Some say he was dispirited; many believe he has gone on to charm and appeal to a Higher Authority.
Always ready with a warm greeting, always asking about our family members, always caring about others… that is the legacy that Bob Massey has left to us. We indeed are better for having known him. Onward to Farmer Bob Massey, whose devotion to public service inspired us to give more of ourselves to make the world a better place. We will miss you, Bob.
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