PALMETTO, Florida (EYT) – Hurricane Irma unearthed a long-lost Clarion University class ring in Florida and helped give back a priceless family treasure for the family of deceased Robert W. Work.
Work passed away on June 8, 2014, at the age of 59. He attended Penn Hills High School and graduated from Clarion University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1978. One of the things he kept from his Clarion years was a class ring.
Six years ago the ring was stolen out of the Clark home in Palmetto, Florida. His widow Beth met Bob as a student at Clarion, and the ring had a special meeting for them.
According to a published article in BayNew9.com, Beth received a message from Susan Wilburth, more than 100 miles away in Leesburg, saying that she found her late husband’s class ring.
While many would have never given an ordinary box on the ground a second glance, Wilburth looked inside and to her surprise found a class ring from 1978.
“I said, ‘Let’s just move things around and see what we got,’” said Wilburth. “So, we moved it around, and there was that green plastic box underneath that other box.”
Susan and her husband Johnny decided to find him on Facebook.
Two weeks later the families connected, and Beth was initially shocked because Bob died three years after the theft.
“Inside (the ring) was engraved with ‘Robert W. Work,'” said Beth. “It means a lot. It really does.”
“Since Bob and I met at Clarion and the kids have been there multiple times, I think it just meant a lot to them to know that’s back in the family again.”
Bob was the Chief Financial Officer for many corporate and non-profit organizations beginning with Isaly Klondike and most recently at Sunrise Arc in Leesburg, Florida.
He has lived a life of traveling, living in Pennsylvania, Florida, New York, and Montana. He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Mount Dora, Florida. Robert had many interests including spending time with children and grandchildren. He adored Motown music especially Diana Ross, which he would have playing constantly. He enjoyed collecting antique cars and staying up to date on the latest movie hits.
He passed away surrounded by his loving family, including his wife, sister and brother-in-law, Vicki and Richard Schiff, and his three children, Rebeccah Dougherty (Brandon Dougherty son-in-law), Jonathan Work (Brandy Shafer), and Christopher Work.
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