In a visit to a physician many years ago, Bob Latimer was told that he should not eat one of his favorite foods — hot dogs. Negotiating with the physician so he could enjoy a hot dog one day a year began the tradition of Bob’s Hot Dog Day. Held at Doug’s Hot Dogs in Ocean View, Bob’s friends including Rotarians, sailors and neighbors gather to enjoy friendship as well as a hot dog paid on Bob's tab. Bob is counting on his friends to join him this Friday at Doug's from 11:30 a.m. until everyone has had enough hot dogs.    

 

A Norfolk native, Bob Latimer was in the first four-year class at the Colleges of William & Mary and VPI, Norfolk Division, which is now known as ODU. He was the class vice president and is an enthusiastic supporter of the Monarchs. He was drafted during the Korean War, and after basic training served in Korea. Bob’s love of movies happened to be a very happy occurrence for him. The movie theater operator was getting ready to come stateside when he approached Bob to take over the projection duties. Bob did and remained at headquarters through the remainder of his tour of duty.

 

After college, Bob began a career in education as a teacher and then an administrator of the adult education programs for the City of Norfolk. One day, a young woman from Richmond came in looking for an employment. Bob was immediately smitten with Earle Marie. Bob hired her and said that not only was it love at first sight but also she was the best employee he ever had. 

  

After Earle Marie and Bob were married, they built a home in Ocean View. One day at a block party, Bob started talking with George Haycox and discovered a mutual love for photography. Pretty soon George proposed Bob for membership in our Rotary Club. Bob joined in 1986 and served as club president in 1997-98. He is an enthusiastic supporter of both our local endowment where he is a Charles Woodward Fellow and also The Rotary Foundation where he is a Paul Harris Fellow + 7.

 

Bob was introduced to sailing by a friend. He enjoyed the experience and was soon frequently sailing. One day he asked Earle Marie if she would like to go for a sail. The answer was “yes.”  Earle Marie became enthusiastic about sailing and one day inquired if her father could sail with them. Of course it was. Earle Marie’s father soon had the sailing bug and bought a large sailboat. Since he lived in Richmond, he had Bob watch over the boat. This launched Bob's 22-year “career” as a boat captain. 

 

Bob also handcrafts beautiful wooden clocks. He discovered his love of wood and woodworking at a young age. His first project was a rudimentary model airplane he crafted by nailing together two 2 x 4s.  From there, it was on to other models and crafting furniture. One day Bob saw an ad in a woodworking magazine for a clock movement. After ordering the mechanism and building a cabinet for it, Bob’s focus became building clocks. He has now built 302 clocks, including ones given to outgoing presidents of our club as well as ones for the first boat to cross the finish line in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race.