ROBERT JAMES “BOB/BUTCH” SUSOR
1963 Graduate
Business Executive/NAPA President Posthumously
Nominated by: Steven Warrington ‘63

Robert was born in 1945 in Toledo, Ohio and graduated from Clay High School in 1963. He attended The Ohio State University until he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served in combat as a mortar squad infantryman in the 4th Infantry Division/10th Calvary Regiment in Vietnam in 1969, earning the rank of Sergeant E5 before his honorable discharge in 1970.

After his return home, Bob married Lindsey Cook of Circleville, Ohio in 1971. He was a brilliant and successful business executive, rising from an entry level position at the NAPA Auto Parts warehouse in Columbus, Ohio through a series of promotions to various sales and marketing positions with the company in Richmond, VA, Cleveland, OH and Atlanta, GA before being named Division Vice President for Western Canada in 1983 in Calgary, Alberta. Bob transformed that operation into one of the company’s most profitable divisions before returning to Atlanta in 1989.

Bob reached the pinnacle of his profession when he was named President of NAPA in 2004. His responsibilities included sponsorship of two-time NASCAR Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip’s team, and traveled to Mexico, Canada, Australia, and China on company business until his retirement in 2010 after 43 years with the company.

Bob enjoyed the Ohio State Buckeyes football, fishing, snow skiing, 1960’s American muscle car restoration, NASCAR, and listening to country music. His proudest accomplishments were spending time with his wife, daughter, son and four grandsons.

CARL J. HUDECEK
1952 Graduate
Physicist/Bridge Master
Nominated by: Cliff Bury ‘52

As a student, Carl was instrumental in organizing and participating in the very first golf team for Clay High School which continues to this day. He and his shop class designed and built the first football scoreboard which lasted for 6 decades and recently has been digitized and painted using 3D t echnology. Carl placed hi gh in State Scholarship tests in Math and Science receiving the Renssalaer Science Proficiency Medal and a full-ride scholarship to the Uni versity of Toledo. In 1953, he designed and c onstructed Clay’s first actual grass running track.

While in college, Carl was the first st udent assistant coach for Ted Federici and helped Clay win the prestigious DeVi lbiss Night Relays in 1954.  Carl obt ained a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Physics (magna c um laude) and later received advanced degrees from Ohio S tate University.  He joined the US Air Force in 1957 and served minimal active duty in Texas, and la ter entered the Reser ves.

Carl was hired by Owens Illinois in his so phomore year at the Uni versity of Toledo, rising to t he position of Manager of Evaluation and Product Testing, then Chi ef Physicist. He became a specialist in the manufacturing of large TV tubes and equipment design.  Carl also consulted on a “Top Secret” classified windshield for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Carl was one of t he first OI Engineers s ent abroad to support “Know How” contracts to teach engineers and managers how to operate their glass f actories. He was in volved in U.S. firms during the 1970’s and early 1980’s to help end the Cold War and spent time in Russia and the Ukraine. Luckily for Carl he l eft the Ukraine one day before the explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant.

Carl’s love of the card game Br idge made him i nfamous. At the age of 21 he was the youngest player to achieve the prestigious Life Master A ward for 300 “Master Points”. He has won many Bridge championships includ ing the acclaimed “Omar Sharif Bridge Circus”. He is still regarded as one of the top 30 world experts. In 1959, he played against President D wight D. Eisenhower. He also hosted a Toledo-area PBS show “Challenge Bridge” of which 20 years later he saw a syndicated episode while in Oklahoma City. Carl restricts his playing currently to on-line with the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.

Carl and his wife, Paula, have two s ons, two daughters, and two grandchildren. He says his years at Clay, “Couldn’t be beat”.