Robert Edward Dorksen

OBITUARY

1941-2024Robert Edward Dorksen, 82, of Chardon passed away on September 5, 2024 at UH Cleveland Medical Center after complications from a fall at his home.Bob was born Sept. 11, 1941, to parents Lester and Mary (Baran) Dorksen in Cleveland, Ohio.Bob is survived by his wife Margaret (Pierce) and children Aaron (Angela) Dorksen of Wooster, OH; Susan Richmond of Cave Creek, Arizona and Bryan (Hillary) Dorksen of Bonney Lake, Washington. Also surviving are grandchildren Arch Dorksen of Wooster and twins Mason and Caden Dorksen of Bonney Lake, Wash.Besides his parents, Robert was preceded in death by his in laws, Robert and Francis Pierce, and sister-in-law Susan Pierce.Bob and Margo married in 1969 and made a great team raising Aaron, Susan and Bryan in the beloved log cabin they had built in 1977 on a 15-acre lot in Chardon. In his later years, Bob loved being �Bumpa� to his three grandsons, who were born within a span of three months in 2010.Bob was a true American success story, demonstrating how far hard work and strong character can take someone. He was an award-winning photographer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer from 1971-83 and the photo editor there from 1984 until his retirement in 2003.Bob published the book �Strength Enough� in 1980, a portfolio of 102 photographs documenting the lives of working men and women published by the Cultural Arts Committee of the United Labor Agency and Western Reserve Historical Society. His work has been displayed in galleries from New York to Los Angeles.After beginning his photo career as a track photographer at Thistledown Race Track in 1966, Bob got his first newspaper job at the Willoughby News-Herald from 1967-71. He thought above and beyond his small-paper job description, travelling on his own dime to take photos of major news events such as the Silver Bridge collapse in 1967 and Robert F. Kennedy�s funeral in 1968. Those pictures were published in national newspapers and magazines.Something even more significant happened during those years: Bob met a young dark-room technician at The News-Herald named Margo, who was the only person he trusted to develop his film. There was added chemistry in that darkroom as they would soon be wed.The Plain Dealer photo editor at the time, Ray Matjasik, saw Bob�s work and in 1971 asked �How would you like a job at the Plain Dealer?�Bob would go on to take photos of the Cleveland area�s biggest stories of the 1970s and early 80s, when The PD was one of the largest papers in the U.S. He photographed Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter, as well as major city events. Great sports moments included Dick Bosman�s no-hitter in 1974, as well as Frank Robinson�s Opening Day home run and the Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner fight at Richfield Coliseum in 1975. His photo credits also included the Cavaliers� Miracle of Richfield season of 1975-76 and many Cleveland Browns games. As a photographer for The PD�s Sunday magazine in the 1980s, Bob travelled to Alaska to take pictures of the pipeline.Bob graduated in 1959 from Rhodes High School, located in the west-side neighborhood known as Old Brooklyn near the zoo.He was admittedly not a particularly good or interested student. The day after graduating he asked his dad, who was a World War II veteran and foreman at the now defunct J&L Steel, �When are you taking me to get a job at the mill?��You�re not going to work in that dirty, filthy hole,� Lester replied. �You�re going to find something else to do!�Bob wound up joining the Air Force from 1961-65 and was a medic stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He developed an interest in photography and enrolled in the New York Institute of Photography in 1967.�I was taught how to take a picture and what a good picture should look like,� he said. �That was invaluable. We�d find great photo opportunities everywhere we went in New York City.Bob saw incredible changes during his photo career, going from black and white to color, darkrooms to electronic, 35-millimeter cameras to high-tech digital.�You had to focus quickly at a sporting event,� he said. �You didn�t know for sure what you had until the photos were developed. If it was a late event, we�d get early shots and have a �film runner� deliver the film back to the paper to be developed.��Today�s cameras put everything in focus. They can see right away what they shot.� Bob was happiest at his family cabin, which was constructed with logs delivered from Vermont on land the family cleared themselves. He loved spending time with his family and attending their many events. He enjoyed being outdoors, whether it was walking in the woods or gardening. He liked having a good cup of coffee, smoking a pipe and a shot of Knob Creek on occasion.He was a great storyteller, funny and extremely smart. He was a big fan of the Chardon Hilltoppers, Ohio State football team, Browns, Indians and Cavaliers. He loved to exercise in his basement weight room, aka Old Iron Gym. Dozens of Hilltoppers got stronger in the cabin basement.Bob had a collector�s gene that was passed down to his sons. Bob�s interests ranged over the years from Sherlock Holmes to vintage pipes and tinder pistol lighters, to antique and unique weightlifting equipment.Bob was also a loving pet owner to dogs Neville and Fillmore, as well as many indoor and outdoor cats over the years.The family is grateful for the extraordinary care provided by Veron and others from the Cherished Companions, UH Medical Center, Erin and Stephanie at UH Geauga Rehab / YMCA and many other doctors and nurses who have helped Bob over the years as he dealt with Parkinson’s and other health issues.Bob was known far and wide as a kind person. He was a man of faith. There will be a private family memorial service per Bob�s wishes. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Geauga Humane Society Rescue Village, 15463 Chillicothe Rd., Novelty, OH 44072 or Chardon High School Athletic Department, 151 Chardon Ave., Chardon, OH 44024 in his memory.Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to Burr Funeral Home in Chardon, Ohio. Information and condolences online at www.burrservice.com.