Bob Garst from the Class of 1966 has been honored with the inaugural Legacy of Service Award. Bob’s life has been one service from his early years in Roanoke, Virginia. In Roanoke, Bob joined the Boy Scouts of America and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. During his time in Scouting, he was a Vigil Member and Lodge Chief for the Order of the Arrow. He also served as summer camp program director. Before enrolling as a student at Virginia Tech, Bob understood the legacy of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).

From Roanoke, Bob enrolled at Virginia Tech as a Forestry student and a member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. He graduated in 1966 with a B.S. in Forestry and commissioned in the United States Army. He served as an officer for 22 years in the field of logistics. He served two tours in Vietnam including one tour as a combat platoon leader where he earned the Purple Heart. He served additional tours in Germany and at the Pentagon. In 1974 he received his master’s in business administration from the University of Alabama.

Following his military service, Bob worked as the assistant executive manager of the National Hardwood Lumber Association. During this time, he served on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Forestry Association. He then went on to work with a major hardwood lumber manufacturer in Ohio before returning home to Roanoke in 1998.

Bob’s service with the Boy Scouts of America and the Blue Ridge Mountains Council was extensive and diverse. He has served as Unit, District, and Roundtable Commissioner and as an instructor in adult leader classes. He was a volunteer at Camp Ottari in Pulaski County teaching forestry and other nature related merit badges. He is a member of the Blue Ridge Mountain’s Council’s Conservation Committee and from 2014-2022 he served as Ecology Section Director of the National Camping School. In 2019, Bob developed a training program to train summer camp nature staff. From 2020 through 2024 he wrote a twice-monthly blog for adult scout leaders to use in promoting nature studies.

He holds the Silver Beaver Award and is currently serving as a Troop Committee member for Troop 235 in Vinton, Virginia.

Since 2011, he has served as a volunteer at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. He has led over 5000 visitors on hour long tours of the Memorial and has served as a trainer for new guides.

When asked about Bob's service at the National D-Day Memorial, April Cheek-Messier, CEO of the National D-Day Memorial said, “His dedication and enthusiasm for sharing the history of D-Day and the stories of those who took part has had an impact on thousands of visitors over those years, including annual visits from the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. In the heat of the summer or in the coldest of winter, Bob has taken guests around the Memorial providing educational content to people of all ages and from across the country.” 

“Bob is extraordinarily generous not only with his time but in his support and in helping underwrite a number of narrative plaques at the Memorial. This includes a generous donation toward the establishment of a plaque to honor Virginia Tech alumnus Jimmie Monteith. We have all benefited from the incredible commitment of Bob and his unwavering desire to ensure the lessons and legacies of our veterans are passed on for generations to come.” 

He is a dedicated supporter of Virginia Tech and the College of Natural Resources and Environment. He is a senior benefactor of the Ut Prosim Society, a member of the 1872, Pylon and Legacy Donor Societies at Virginia Tech.

He is Ut Prosim personified. And somehow in between all of this, Bob was able to become a trained Virginia Master Naturalist.