Anyone who lived in the Gage Park neighborhood undoubtedly went to Rec's Hardware store on 55th street. I bought tire (monkey) patches for my bike on a monthly basis and took the house screens there to be replaced after throwing a ball or two through them. If you needed your hedge trimmers sharpened, a screw, nut or bolt of any size, you'd find it there.
When I visited the store again in 2000 as a photojournalist, Bob was still there with his partner helping out. He was losing his vision but still knew where everything in the store was.
I don't have too much information to share but I know he opened his hardware store shortly before or after WWII. He also served in WWII where he spent time in a German POW camp but escaped back to the allied lines. If you have more information or memories to share, please do so. When I'm not covering editorial assignments, you can find me working as a wedding photographer.
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