As written and read by Conservation Officer Kerry Hope:Bob Mickelson dedicated himself to for much of his working years. The man behind the uniform is here because Bob was my mentor, my neighbour, one of my heroes and my friend.
Bob started working in Parks in maintenance. His drive and hard work was recognized by his supervisors and he was successful in competition to become a Park Ranger. Early in Bobs career the parks department decided that its Rangers should be educated to a certain standard. Bob and many of his contemporaries were thrown into what was called the basic parks course and the advanced parks course, a two year process that challenged many of the old-time park caretakers. Many did not make it through that process but Bob applied himself and succeeded. He told me that his family was the reason he made it through and joked that it was a humbling experience being helped by his teenaged daughter with his algebra. Hard work and Humility were lessons that Bob taught by example.
In the years that Bob was a Park Ranger the role was a real way of life and not just a job. That way of life included families who shared the isolation and the politics of living in the park and often being the only emergency contact. Because of Bobs dedication to parks, Irene was partly married to Parks. Bob didn’t tell me that he loved Irene (guys don’t usually use those terms) but it was apparent in many ways. He did tell me how important she was to him being able to do the job that he did. He was always very proud of his kids and from my experience that was with good reason. There are other people here who can talk about Bob the family man, so I’ll move on to telling you more about some of the other things he loved. The importance of family was a lesson that Bob taught by example.
Years ago when we had large teams of staff living in and around Parks they became communities that were built in the spring and dismantled to an extent in the fall. Bob had a way of pulling together a team and Irene had a way of building a community. Bob respected the guy who cleaned the toilets and he made you know that you were important to him. I remember his way of squinting a little bit and nodding as he listened to people intently. He was very good at figuring out, in his words, what made someone tick. Bob was a natural leader who cared about people and this was rewarded with dedication and a high standard of park operation. A sincere caring for people and how that converted to good leadership was a lesson that Bob taught by example.
Bob had a great sense of humour. When he thought I was being too serious he would lighten things up with one of his stories or some corny joke. I wish I could remember the things that we laughed about but I just remember laughing with Bob till tears came. His humour seemed spontaneous but it was also polished not to be hurtful to anyone. He had a self-deprecating sense of humour that cut through formality and lightened any situation. Joking about himself put people at ease and endeared himself to everyone who he contacted. Seeing the lighter side of life and not taking yourself too seriously was a lesson Bob taught by example.
Bob had a deep feeling for the natural world. You could see him light up when he talked about seeing griz tracks or if he saw a new moose calf in the park. He told me that the mountains are different every day and I know he appreciated them every day. It wasn’t unusual for Bob to come in to the office or the shop and say something like “did you see that sunrise this morning” or “did you hear that owl hooting last night”. Bob was one of the old style of Rangers who was on the land and was part of it all. His identity was tied up with the natural communities that he protected. Appreciation for nature was a lesson Bob taught by example.
Bob Mickelson was very widely liked and respected in the Alberta Parks organization. Sometimes he made his manager squirm a bit with his strong feelings and outspokenness. He also backed me up as young ranger with much less earned credibility when I got on a rant or two. Government is an environment where diplomacy and problem resolution are rewarded. These are good things and Bob was good at them but never at the expense of what was right. The courage to speak the truth when it is not convenient to do so was something that Bob had. Courage was not rewarded by the system but it was recognized by people around him. Courage and commitment are lessons that Bob taught by example.
I don’t think that Bob and Irene had a lot of money. Being a Park ranger didn’t pay all that well but I know that Bob was very rich in many ways. He had a partner who he loved and who loved him. He had a great family he was proud of and a deep appreciation for the important things in life. That was enough to achieve in one life but his influence lives on in untold ways. He touched and influenced many lives and now we tell the people who we supervise that there was an old ranger who told me something one time…. We pass it on. And they pass it on. For me, part of Bob is still out in Switzer Park and part of Bob lives in the people he touched.
Bob started working in Parks in maintenance. His drive and hard work was recognized by his supervisors and he was successful in competition to become a Park Ranger. Early in Bobs career the parks department decided that its Rangers should be educated to a certain standard. Bob and many of his contemporaries were thrown into what was called the basic parks course and the advanced parks course, a two year process that challenged many of the old-time park caretakers. Many did not make it through that process but Bob applied himself and succeeded. He told me that his family was the reason he made it through and joked that it was a humbling experience being helped by his teenaged daughter with his algebra. Hard work and Humility were lessons that Bob taught by example.
In the years that Bob was a Park Ranger the role was a real way of life and not just a job. That way of life included families who shared the isolation and the politics of living in the park and often being the only emergency contact. Because of Bobs dedication to parks, Irene was partly married to Parks. Bob didn’t tell me that he loved Irene (guys don’t usually use those terms) but it was apparent in many ways. He did tell me how important she was to him being able to do the job that he did. He was always very proud of his kids and from my experience that was with good reason. There are other people here who can talk about Bob the family man, so I’ll move on to telling you more about some of the other things he loved. The importance of family was a lesson that Bob taught by example.
Years ago when we had large teams of staff living in and around Parks they became communities that were built in the spring and dismantled to an extent in the fall. Bob had a way of pulling together a team and Irene had a way of building a community. Bob respected the guy who cleaned the toilets and he made you know that you were important to him. I remember his way of squinting a little bit and nodding as he listened to people intently. He was very good at figuring out, in his words, what made someone tick. Bob was a natural leader who cared about people and this was rewarded with dedication and a high standard of park operation. A sincere caring for people and how that converted to good leadership was a lesson that Bob taught by example.
Bob had a great sense of humour. When he thought I was being too serious he would lighten things up with one of his stories or some corny joke. I wish I could remember the things that we laughed about but I just remember laughing with Bob till tears came. His humour seemed spontaneous but it was also polished not to be hurtful to anyone. He had a self-deprecating sense of humour that cut through formality and lightened any situation. Joking about himself put people at ease and endeared himself to everyone who he contacted. Seeing the lighter side of life and not taking yourself too seriously was a lesson Bob taught by example.
Bob had a deep feeling for the natural world. You could see him light up when he talked about seeing griz tracks or if he saw a new moose calf in the park. He told me that the mountains are different every day and I know he appreciated them every day. It wasn’t unusual for Bob to come in to the office or the shop and say something like “did you see that sunrise this morning” or “did you hear that owl hooting last night”. Bob was one of the old style of Rangers who was on the land and was part of it all. His identity was tied up with the natural communities that he protected. Appreciation for nature was a lesson Bob taught by example.
Bob Mickelson was very widely liked and respected in the Alberta Parks organization. Sometimes he made his manager squirm a bit with his strong feelings and outspokenness. He also backed me up as young ranger with much less earned credibility when I got on a rant or two. Government is an environment where diplomacy and problem resolution are rewarded. These are good things and Bob was good at them but never at the expense of what was right. The courage to speak the truth when it is not convenient to do so was something that Bob had. Courage was not rewarded by the system but it was recognized by people around him. Courage and commitment are lessons that Bob taught by example.
I don’t think that Bob and Irene had a lot of money. Being a Park ranger didn’t pay all that well but I know that Bob was very rich in many ways. He had a partner who he loved and who loved him. He had a great family he was proud of and a deep appreciation for the important things in life. That was enough to achieve in one life but his influence lives on in untold ways. He touched and influenced many lives and now we tell the people who we supervise that there was an old ranger who told me something one time…. We pass it on. And they pass it on. For me, part of Bob is still out in Switzer Park and part of Bob lives in the people he touched.
