The Legend of Bob Rundell, Part II

For twenty-nine years Bob Rundell served as maintenance director for the Port of The Dalles, and the evidence of his work can still be seen today. Drive down to the boat marina and look at the floating sidewalks? He built those. Riverfront Park? He was a part of that too. He spent ten years working alongside his son to remove the old port dock, a project that involved moving thousands of tons of concrete and steel.

He didn’t drink. He didn’t smoke. “I always figured that if I ever got drunk, I’d probably get mad and kill somebody,” he once explained. Whether that was true or not, the discipline he applied to his own body was the same discipline he applied to his work. He showed up every day, did what needed to be done, and went home.

His coworkers respected him. His bosses trusted him. And the Port of The Dalles was better for having had him.