As part of our tribute to a true pioneer and giant of Edgar Rice Burroughs fandom, we present Bob Hyde's final chapter in his Odyssey of a Tarzan FANatic memoirs - followed by a series of Remembrance Photo Albums.

Over the past years, after Bob has shared his Odyssey chapters with members of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Amateur Press Association, he has forwarded them to me for presentation on the Web. I looked forward to keying in the words, scouring my collection for illustrations to supplement his photos, adding relevant links and formatting everything for Web display at the ERBzine.com and Tarzan.com sites.

Sadly, Bob's time ran out, and he was unable to share the last ten years of his life in his own words, but the tributes and memories of his friends, peers and family, as well as the photos we've compiled in the following pages will give some idea of how he lived life to the fullest up until his final days.

Whe Bob missed the scheduled Winter 2006 ERBapa submission of the 1997 chapter in his Odyssey series, his other "Two from Thuria" writing partner, Jack Daley, sent the following explanation:

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MEDICAL REPORT ~ January 2006

For the first time in several years, Bob Hyde's "Odyssey" does not appear in these august pages. As of this writing he is in a rehab facility, recovering from a series of complications that followed a routine quadruple heart bypass operation. 

Although the surgery was successful, problems with arrhythmia developed and he was fitted with a pacemaker. Afterward, while being transferred to a rehab unit, Bob suffered a stroke. Flown by helicopter from St. Clair Hospital to Pittsburgh's UPMC-Presbyterian Hospital, he received the good news that the stroke was a minor one. 

A few days later, however, he developed pneumonia and a collapsed lung. Heavily sedated and receiving massive infusions of antibiotics, he was confined to the Intensive Care Unit for a few days short of one month.

The latest news from his daughter Susan, on January 21, is that he is now fully recovered from pneumonia and his heart is working normally. Walt (Alpert) and I plan to visit him soon, and we will report on his progress. ~ Jack Daley

Age 80, on Friday, April 7, 2006, of Baldwin Boro. Devoted husband of the late Alice A. Hyde; loving father of Wendy H. (Pastor John Benigas), John (Indy), and Susan J. (Rick Katz); grandfather of Jeanette, Johnny, Adam, Michael, Brittany, Alyssa and Luke; brother of the late Richard Hyde; special friend of Margaret Herzog. Mr Hyde served as an Officer in the US Navy during WWII, was a 1949 Yale graduate, Tarzan Enthusiast and Computer Programmer at US Steel for over 35 years.

Friends will be received at the John F Slater Funeral Home,  412-881-4100, 4201 Brownsville Road, Brentwood  PA  Monday from 2-4  and 7-9 pm.  Funeral services will be held on Tuesday in Baldwin Community United Methodist Church, chapel at 11 am, if desired, family suggests contributions to UPMC Montefiore Palliative Care Program, Suite 933 W 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh  PA  15213-2582.

Condolences may be sent to the family via the Pittsburgh Post Gazette from their website: www.post-gazette.com/gb

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Obituary: Clarence B. Hyde / Tarzan fan owned extensive collection
Friday, April 14, 2006
By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Clarence B. "Bob" Hyde was one of 13 U.S. Steel employees selected in 1954 to learn how to program the company's new computer system. And although most of his professional life would involve computer programming, his lifelong passion was Tarzan. 

"His interest in Tarzan started in 1933 when he was 8 years old," said his son, John Hyde, of Butler. That's when Mr. Hyde obtained a Tarzan coloring book and a sweatshirt from the Chicago World's Fair. It was also the year he saw the movie "King of the Jungle," starring Buster Crabbe. 

Over 72 years his collection grew to include many items, including first editions of all the Tarzan books, signed by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. Mr. Hyde recently donated the collection to the University of Louisville's Burroughs special collection. 

Mr. Hyde, of Baldwin Borough, died last Friday at UPMC Presbyterian of complications following heart surgery. He was 80. 

Born in Warren, Ohio, Mr. Hyde was an officer in the Navy during World War II and a 1949 graduate of Yale University. He moved to Baldwin in 1954, when he was tapped for the U.S. Steel computer training program. When he retired from the steel-making company in 1989, he was the last of the company's original 13 computer programmers.

His wife, Alice, whom he married in 1951, died in 1990. Though his children could not approach their father's passion for all things Tarzan, "we could appreciate it," his son said. The vast collection undoubtedly could have been sold for a great deal of money, " but Bob thought it was important that it all be kept as an integral collection that could be seen by future generations," said Walter Albert of Point Breeze, his friend for more than 30 years. "One of the great pleasures of my life was going to his house to view the collection."

In addition to the first edition novels, there were autographed photographs from every actor who played Tarzan, comic books and artwork. There are a number of items from Mr.  Burroughs, "who was very generous to his fans, writing letters and signing books," Mr. Albert said. 

Extensive pictures of the collection, as it was displayed in the Baldwin home, can be viewed at www.erbzine.com/mag6/0686.html. 

The curator of the Burroughs collection at Louisville, George T. McWhorter, released this statement about Mr. Hyde: "When a lifelong fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs dies, it's like losing a member of the family. Bob was always keenly interested and involved in the Burroughs Bibliophiles, which he co-founded and served as its only president for 45 years. He will always be President Emeritus wherever his spirit roams in the afterlife." 

Besides his son, he is survived by daughters Susan J. Katz of Hampton and Wendy Benigas of Hubbard, Ohio; seven grandchildren; and special friend Margaret Herzog of Castle Shannon.

Funeral services were held this week. Arrangements were by John F. Slater Funeral Home, Brentwood.

The family suggests contributions to the UPMC Montefiore Palliative Care Program, Suite 933W., 200 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh 15213-2582. 

(Linda Wilson Fuoco can be reached at lfuoco@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3064. ) 
 

Copyright © PG Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 
WHEN A LIFELONG FAN OF EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS dies, it's like losing a member of the family.  Bob was always keenly interested and involved in the BURROUGHS BIBLIOPHILES which he co-founded and served as its only President for 45 years. He will always be "President Emeritus" wherever his spirit roams in the afterlife.  Burroughs expressed the hope that he would visit other worlds after he had left this one, and I firmly believe that he and Bob will meet on one of these distant worlds and exchange ideas.  They both have a fulll measure of admiration and respect from those of us who are temporarily left behind. 

~ George T. McWhorter

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PASSING OF A LEGEND

I'm not sure if Bob Hyde would approve of being called a legend, but he was that to me.  Living on the other side of the Atlantic meant that in the early days, travelling to the United States to attend the Dum-Dum's hosted by Vern Coriell was impossible.  Not that I would have flown all that way just for a one-dinner evening at the Worldcon, but they have been fun to read in the old Gridley Waves of the wonderful guests that were in attendance.  And that is where I first became aware of Bob - through the fanzines.  Hardly surprising over the years that I have personally known Bob that Vern Coriell appointed him as President of the Burroughs Bibliophiles.  At this year's ECOF gathering, Bob would have faced his first election in office.  He would have walked it.

Bob Hyde was part of that retinue of the old guard, the ones that saw Burroughs fandom from its infancy and saw it grow, decline and grow again into what it is today.

Bob was not able to attend the first Burroughs convention I went to - the one in Louisville in 1985.  His wife did not approve of this "foolishness" and so Bob kept his wife happy by staying away.  After she passed away, he wasted no further time and began once again to make an appearance.  With the added help of his son being an airline pilot, Bob was able to travel free of charge across the country.

I believe it was in Louisville 1990 that I first met Bob in person and I liked him straight away.  In fact there was never anything to dislike him over, he was of that nature.  At the ECOF gathering in Denver 1992, he was given the Outstanding Achievement and Devotion to the Memory of ERB award.  The following year he hosted the Dum-Dum and five years later with very little notice, hosted the ECOF gathering at the grand age of 73.  In Toronto 2005, we sang "Happy Birthday" to him as he celebrated becoming an octogenarian.

I have fond memories of Bob like the time in Oregon 1993 when Mike Conran, Bob and I drove along the Columbia River taking in something like 17 waterfalls.  Sometimes the walk from the roadside was a bit too strenuous for him and he wisely stayed behind as Mike and I scrambled over the rocks.  Then there was the time that Bob came to England in 1997 for the ERB convention and a trip to Greystoke Castle.  He was unable to attend the event in 1988 because of his wife's wishes.  There are many more times that I can think of Bob, chatting with him of his own memories of building his collection, stealing huge billboard posters of Tarzan (only for his father to throw it way while he was at college), and others collecting the Tarzan strip for him while he was in service.

This past Christmas I did not receive his traditional card and tried to call him to find out if everything was okay.  All I got though was his answer phone and figured that he was spending the holidays with one or more of his children.  It was not until the last issue of the ERBAPA arrived that many of us discovered he was seriously ill.

Bob Hyde will continue live on in the memories of those that have known him and through his many articles in the fanzines of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Thanks to John Carter, his journey down the River Iss will be a safe one.

We'll miss you Bob.  Cheers.

~ Laurence Dunn

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This past week we who care deeply about Edgar Rice Burroughs and those who have worked to keep his name and works alive and well among serious fans have lost a good friend and a true gentleman.  The Bob Hyde is gone.  That definite article came about some time after I was privileged to meet Bob in person.  Of course, I knew of Bob Hyde and his contributions to Burroughs Bibliophiles from the outset.  But I had not connected Clarence Bob Hyde to that person.

Although I am not a member of Bob's immediate family, we Burroughsians are members of his larger family, and I feel his loss as a personal one.  I looked forward to being able to connect with him at each of our gatherings.  His was a warm and generous personality.  My words do not do him justice. 
Burroughsian gatherings will not be quite the same.  But to paraphrase the immortal words from Burroughs' pen: "We still live," and our lives are the richer for the presence of Bob Hyde. 

May Bob Hyde's memory and spirit remain with us for years, even generations to come.

~ Dorothy "Usha" Howell
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Burroughs fandom has lost one of its icons and we've all lost a good friend.  Bob was generous, loyal, and had a fine sense of humor.  I am certain flags will be at half mast in his honor on Barsoom and Amtor, in Pellucidar and Opar, and elsewhere in the Burroughs realm. 

~ Jim Thompson
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I didn't really know Bob very well at all, other than through our letters and meetings at the few Dum-Dums I've attended. He was very helpful when I was trying to rebuild the first edition dust jacket for RETURN. With a wealth of experience and ERB knowledge way beyond anything I'll ever have. One of the men who made ERB fandom a great place to visit. Always friendly in his gruff way with a smile around the edges. A great guy.

May he be watching the moons of Barsoom as they wing their course, and find himself a welcome guest in all the golden cities.

~ Phil Normand

 
Bob was a great guy.  I didn't know him well, but have been to several ECOFs/Dum Dums where he was also in attendance, so we chatted a few times.  I'm sure I remember him being given a funny hat made of balloons in a restaurant at one of the gatherings.  He was gracious enough to wear it for quite a while.  (And no, I'm not thinking of Dick Spargur, who has been forced to wear at least one funny hat as Joog, the Giant of Mars.)

~ Steve "Ghak" Wadding

 
This is very sad news.  I was off line all weekend and only now read the news.  Bob Hyde was someone with class and tremendous dignity, one of the founding fathers of the BB's, and a nice man on top of it.  And that's not to mention that he was also one of the members of "The Greatest Generation"...

That was the same hat.  The restaurant in Tarzana had one of those guys who blows up and twists balloons into funny shapesfor kids.  So, my dear wife and Sue-On Hillman, collaborated with him to produce a funny hat for me (I used to sign my messages as "Joog the Giant of Mars, I wear a funny hat"). It got a big laugh and then was passed around for others to wear until it wound up on the head of Mr. Dignity himself, Bob Hyde, who good naturedly wore it for the remainder of  the meal.  I remembered thinking, what a guy, so much dignity and yet able to have fun wearing that thing and be photographed numerous times wearing it.

~ Dick Spargur

 
My brother and I had the good fortune to meet and talk with Bob Hyde at the Newton, Iowa Dum Dum.  We both felt that we had spoken with a living legend.  Bob had a way of looking into your soul with his bright, piercing eyes.  There was definitely an aura about him that radiated an enormous sense of enegry.  He had a winning smile, but he seemed to be a man who would not tolerate nonsense.  A spirit of genius hovered over him.

Vale, Bob,  you were one of the shining lights in this world.

~ David "Nkima" Adams

 
We will all miss Bob. To me, he was the patriarch of our ERB family.

~ Sue-On "Dejah" Hillman

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I met Bob Hyde many years ago at a convention of the Burroughs Bibliophiles and immediately liked him.  He was a most affable and likeable gentleman, with that quiet dignity, always pleasant, and VERY knowledgeable in all things pertaining to the writings of Edgar Rice Burroughs.  We were roommates at one of the conventions, I think in Louisville, back in the early '90s. 

I know you all will miss him, such a grand fellow.   I will miss knowing he is not somewhere on the same planet with me and will look forward to seeing him again, one day.  Again, my sympathies.
 

~ Bob Cook, The Wazirian

 
I don't have much to add concerning Bob Hyde that others haven't already said, since I palled around with him at the same Cons as the rest of you, but I don't know if my fellow BBs knew that on one of his pilgrimmages to Los Angeles to meet Casper Van Dien in 2001, he took time out of his brief few days here to come to our play, "Dark of the Moon", to support Tasor, Lisi, and me. 

Gray Morrow drew Bob in as the villain (from photos of Bob's real-life African safari) in my Sunday story "La's Plight", in which Lisi was drawn as the heroine. I think a picture of Bob, Lisi, and me appeared in one of the Gridley Waves when he met his Sunday strip co-star back at Dum Dum '96.

~ Tracy Griffin, Lord Passmore

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Joan Bledig [of Illinois], Rob Greer  [of California], Jeff Long, and Greg Phillips [both of Illinois] raised their glasses at dinner Sunday evening [April 9, 2006] in honor of Clarence Bob Hyde.

~ Joan "J the V" Bledig

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I went to the funeral home this afternoon (April 11), and met Bob's sons and daughter Wendy, and a couple of his granddaughters.  I gave them Tangor's info on the Hall of Memories page on ERBList.  They were quite happy to hear about that.   Bob had donated his entire collection to the University of Louisville KY, and so, one of his sons will be going through the collection, organizing and packing, and driving the entire collection down to Louisville.

I asked permission to tuck a personal momento into the casket and received an ok.  I placed a card with my personal memories of Bob, and my wishes for him in eternity.  I also placed two Burroughs Bibliophiles bookmarks in the casket near his hand.  I wanted that for him - meaningless to some, but to me, it was important because of his standing with the BB's.

Tomorrow, there will be a luncheon at the Bradley House in West Mifflin, after the funeral service. I will not be able to attend that.   It was hard seeing Bob laying there in the casket, wearing a suit and a necktie with pheasants on it.  Nice necktie, but I thought a Tarzan necktie would've been more suitable, or him just wearing a Dum Dum t-shirt - the way I'm used to seeing him.

It's tissue time.

~ blessings,  Mary "Amar" Fabian

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