I first met Robert in the spring of 1967. I was auditioning for a music scholarship at Simpson College. My father had passed away a year earlier and my family was not wealthy, so I would need a scholarship to go to college. Luckily, I was awarded a scholarship and attended Simpson as a freshman in the fall of 1967. In the spring of 1968, Robert asked me to give a tour of the campus to a prospective music student, to "show him around". That prospective student turned out to be Doug Duncan. Doug was visiting campus to take his SAT tests. As college students will do, we stayed up most of the night working on a bottle of scotch. The next day, Doug did make it to his testing session on time and passed his exams. That was the beginning of my lifelong friendship with Doug and Robert. We became close friends, worked hard building sets, performing in Opera productions, Madrigal, Choir and building MORE sets. We also enjoyed many "adventures" together which included a trip to Europe in the summer of 1971. Robert once said we were like the "Three Musketeers". Because of Robert taking an interest in me, I was able to go to Simpson College, which changed my life. After earning a graduate degree from the University of Michigan, I was a principal singer with the DMMO in 1973, 1974, and 1979, and have enjoyed a successful 30 year teaching career. Thank you, Robert, for the scholarship, but more importantly for your belief in me, for the guidance, understanding, love and friendship. Farewell, old friend. "In bocca al lupo"! Reid Stringer