Artist Bob Waldmire (1945-2009) remains known today as an artistic visual “cartographer” for his imaginative and detailed artwork of the historic U.S. Route 66.
In the early 1980’s, the Universal Pantheist Society received the first of many postcards and letters that Bob Waldmire regularly sent us telling us about his life and adventures. In a submission for our newsletter’s “What Pantheism Means to Me” feature published in 1995, he wrote:
"Personally, to and for me, Pantheism justifies and warrants my existence - and the right to exist. I have long believed of man's duty and obligation to revere the real, the Earth underfoot to the rest of the Universe overhead. Personally, I believe it’s late for man to triumph over his evil with good... but I'm less concerned with man's salvation than with saving some of his fellow creatures, particularly the great whales, the great apes, and predators and any endangered species. I am interested in Pantheism's potential to 'convert' human arrogance to human humility.”
Over the years, he continued to send us postcards, messages, and artwork. He created and donated to us unique "ads" for us to place in alternative newsletters in search of new members, and we featured his drawings in Pantheist Vision, including this one on the cover of Vol. 5, No. 2, May, 1984):
In the early 1980’s, the Universal Pantheist Society received the first of many postcards and letters that Bob Waldmire regularly sent us telling us about his life and adventures. In a submission for our newsletter’s “What Pantheism Means to Me” feature published in 1995, he wrote:
"Personally, to and for me, Pantheism justifies and warrants my existence - and the right to exist. I have long believed of man's duty and obligation to revere the real, the Earth underfoot to the rest of the Universe overhead. Personally, I believe it’s late for man to triumph over his evil with good... but I'm less concerned with man's salvation than with saving some of his fellow creatures, particularly the great whales, the great apes, and predators and any endangered species. I am interested in Pantheism's potential to 'convert' human arrogance to human humility.”
Over the years, he continued to send us postcards, messages, and artwork. He created and donated to us unique "ads" for us to place in alternative newsletters in search of new members, and we featured his drawings in Pantheist Vision, including this one on the cover of Vol. 5, No. 2, May, 1984):
The cover of Pantheist Vision, Vol. 12, No. 4, December, 1991, featured Bob Waldmire's artwork below, which incorporated a magnificent scene of the Earth and its living beings below the stars and moon beyond, and included Bob's heartfelt admonition: "We must learn to extend our love, compassion and desire for peace to all life - the birds of the air, the creatures of the seas and those who tread upon the good Earth. We need to understand the interconnectedness of all life; we cannot separate one form from the other. For we are all of one source. Peace is not something we can go out and find. We must create it in our own lives and hearts and then give it away..."
This same issue listed Member's Activities, and reported that Bob Waldmire recently published some of his artwork for a piece on "Route 66" in National Parks Magazine. See page 37 of National Parks Magazine, March-April, 1995 for Bob's pictorial map of the entire Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. View a PDF copy on NPSHistory.com archive website: npshistory.com/npca/magazine/mar-apr-1991.pdf
(The same issue, on page 35, tells the story, written by Bob's father Edwin Waldmire about his invention of the corn dog, which he called the "Cozy Dog.")
(The same issue, on page 35, tells the story, written by Bob's father Edwin Waldmire about his invention of the corn dog, which he called the "Cozy Dog.")
When noted author Edward Abbey died in 1989, Bob wrote a fine tribute to Abbey, along with a portrait of Ed with artist Robert Crumb for the cover. Download the PDF here:
| Bob Waldmire Tribute to Edward Abbey, Pantheist Vision, Vol 10, No. 3, September, 1989 |
Bob remained a stalwart member for 29 years until his death in 2009.
We featured a special two-page spread about his life in Pantheist Vision in the Autumn 2015 issue. A PDF excerpt from that issue is here
We featured a special two-page spread about his life in Pantheist Vision in the Autumn 2015 issue. A PDF excerpt from that issue is here
| Robert Waldmire, A Talented Pantheist |
Now, the world-renowned Artizona Highways magazine featured a biopic of Bob in its April, 2024 issue. You may read the article, "Drawing Attention to Bob" by Noah Austin here:
https://www.arizonahighways.com/article/drawing-attention-bob
https://www.arizonahighways.com/article/drawing-attention-bob
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