Portville Hall of Fame
Bob Roulo was born in Portville on March 17, 1935, the sixth of nine children
of parents Doug and Eleanor Roulo. He attended elementary and high school
in Portville and was selected to the Alle-Catt All-Star Football team in 1953.
He left school in 1953 to join the U.S.Marine Corps in which he served from
1953-1957. His service to his country took him to the Middle-Eastern
countries of Turkey and Lebanon and Central American countries of Panama
and Nicaragua.
After an honorable discharge in 1957, he returned to Portville and began a
masonry apprenticeship with the Stohr & Rowe Construction company. Bob
completed his apprenticeship in 1963 and continued in his chosen profession
for 50 years of Craftsman Masonry.
An event that changed his life was a job at Houghton College in 1970. He was
placed on a “stone job” with two “old Germans” from Lancaster County, Pa.
Several other masons had worked with them before Bob but they returned
disgusted, insisting the company should get rid of them. He worked with the
men for two weeks, during which time he found them irritable, distant and
strange. They spoke no English but talked to each other non-stop in their native
German tongue. Bob said they were very knowledgeable and he learned a lot.
One day, when the job was almost finished, they began to speak to him in
English. It dawned on Bob that he had “passed their test, they had found their
man”. He found working with them after that some of the most enjoyable of
his career in masonry. Bob kept several hand tools he was given by those
craftsmen.
Bob met his wife, Phyllis, in 1962. They were married at the Methodist
Church in Portville on March 15, 1963. They are the parents of four children,
John, Debra, Susan, and Robert, Jr.
Bob’s work is beautiful and can be seen all around Portville. One of his
trademarks was a heart-shaped stone in each of his creations. His legacy will be
remembered for many years by many generations.
(From Gary Swetland's Presentation at the Alumni Banquet on 7/13/12)
of parents Doug and Eleanor Roulo. He attended elementary and high school
in Portville and was selected to the Alle-Catt All-Star Football team in 1953.
He left school in 1953 to join the U.S.Marine Corps in which he served from
1953-1957. His service to his country took him to the Middle-Eastern
countries of Turkey and Lebanon and Central American countries of Panama
and Nicaragua.
After an honorable discharge in 1957, he returned to Portville and began a
masonry apprenticeship with the Stohr & Rowe Construction company. Bob
completed his apprenticeship in 1963 and continued in his chosen profession
for 50 years of Craftsman Masonry.
An event that changed his life was a job at Houghton College in 1970. He was
placed on a “stone job” with two “old Germans” from Lancaster County, Pa.
Several other masons had worked with them before Bob but they returned
disgusted, insisting the company should get rid of them. He worked with the
men for two weeks, during which time he found them irritable, distant and
strange. They spoke no English but talked to each other non-stop in their native
German tongue. Bob said they were very knowledgeable and he learned a lot.
One day, when the job was almost finished, they began to speak to him in
English. It dawned on Bob that he had “passed their test, they had found their
man”. He found working with them after that some of the most enjoyable of
his career in masonry. Bob kept several hand tools he was given by those
craftsmen.
Bob met his wife, Phyllis, in 1962. They were married at the Methodist
Church in Portville on March 15, 1963. They are the parents of four children,
John, Debra, Susan, and Robert, Jr.
Bob’s work is beautiful and can be seen all around Portville. One of his
trademarks was a heart-shaped stone in each of his creations. His legacy will be
remembered for many years by many generations.
(From Gary Swetland's Presentation at the Alumni Banquet on 7/13/12)
| The Portville Historical and Preservation Society |
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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
Portville, New York
| Robert Roulo PCS Wall of Fame Class of 2012 Inductee |
