waldmire s van in route 66 hall of fame
in 1992, bob waldmire re-opened hackberry general store in ghost town of hackberry, arizona route 66 tourism information post , souvenir shop. 1934 store, northside grocery , conoco station, had been closed , vacant since 1978 after interstate 40 in arizona bypassed town (on 66) , left stranded fifteen miles away different route taken i-40.
waldmire sold store john , kerry pritchard in 1998 due local disputes regarding environmental , aesthetic impact of quarries removing local stone use in landscaping.
in 2004, bob waldmire earned national historic route 66 federation s john steinbeck award contributions preservation of route 66.
one of waldmire s modified vehicles, orange 1972 volkswagen microbus, inspiration character fillmore 2006 animated motion picture cars. pixar abandoned proposal name character waldmire bob unwilling sell marketing rights disney series of toys appear in mcdonald s happy meals.
on november 22, 2009 bob’s last art show held @ cozy dog drive-in. on december 16, 2009, waldmire died cancer had spread colon liver. ashes returned earth @ multiple sites, including parents gravesite in mottarville cemetery near rochester, illinois, both u.s. route 66 endpoints , other pre-selected 66 locations including longtime arizona winter home.
his official website, bobwaldmire.com, remains in operation , being maintained brother buz waldmire. trademark van , bus displayed in route 66 hall of fame , museum in pontiac, illinois.
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