Robert (Bob) Marsh Stanton – Madison, WI. Robert M. Stanton passed away on 2/4/14 at 3:37 in the afternoon, in the company of his nephew, Mark, and his nurse, Alex, in the UW TLC (intensive care) unit. He had been battling congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and other complications for several weeks, and had a constant stream of visitors, especially from the Madison bluegrass community. Robert M. Stanton was born in Chicago on April 21, 1926. He was the first son of Jack Harding Stanton and Julia Weidman Marsh. From a young age, Bob was interested in buildings, bridges, and engineering. At 17, he enlisted in the Army in March 1944 to attend an engineering program at Michigan State College, but in July, due to the draft missing its quota, he was pulled from the program, to become an infantryman. He attended basic training at Camp Wheeler, in Georgia, and served as rifleman and clerk with Company F, 2nd Batallion, 26th Regiment, in the 1st Division (Big Red One). He was in the Ardennes Offensive (commonly known as The Battle of the Bulge) the Rhineland campaign, and was part of the Army of Occupation in Germany. He returned to the US in May of 1946, and received his honorable discharge at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin. Using the GI Bill, Bob earned a Mechanical Engineering degree, starting at ITT in Chicago and later transferring to the Univ. of Wisconsin. Upon graduation, he went to work at SubZero in Madison. After several years there, he began working for the State of WI, primarily as a traffic engineer, and served as a state sponsored consultant for many small towns around Wisconsin that could not afford their own dedicated engineer. In the late 1960's he continued his studies at UW to earn his Master's and his Doctorate in Urban Planning, and served as a teaching assistant in the Urban Planning department. He gained some local fame in 1962 when he published a small book called "The Story of Sterling Court" in which he used a small street in Madison as a microcosm of city planning, good and bad. His interest in Urban Planning took him around the world to conferences and on exchange programs, including Japan, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and the People's Republic of China. He had a lifelong interest in linguistics and was an early follower of Noam Chomsky. He spoke several languages fluently, including German and Spanish, and had conversational ability in many more, including Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. Everywhere he travelled he was interested in the people, how they lived, what they ate, and the music they listened to. Bob had a lifelong love for music, first learning piano, starting in elementary school, and then guitar during WWII. He also tried violin, but truly found 'his instrument' in the stand-up bass. He was a particular and knowledgeable fan of bluegrass, and mentored many musicians and bands, and indeed, the "music scene" in Madison, starting in the late 60's. He played and sat in with many bands, including The Himalayan Mountain Boys, the Wisconsin River Bluegrass Boys, the Yahara River Valley Boys, the Oak St. Ramblers, and many others. Bob had an active interest in local, state, national and international politics, and often participated in town halls, "get-out-the vote" drives, and the early stages of political campaigns. He was a founding member of the Students for a Democratic Society at UW. He was "the original ecologist/recycler" – finding ways to reuse almost any material or item. He was an avid walker, biker, and outspoken supporter of public transportation, and rarely owned a car. He was known for both his frugality for himself and his generosity to others. Robert M. Stanton was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Julia Stanton, and his sister, Mary Elinor Stanton McDiarmid. Robert M. Stanton is survived by his brother, Donald Randolph Stanton, and Mary's children, Mark Stanton McDiarmid and his wife, Patricia Solis McDiarmid, Megan (Mickey) Claire McDiarmid and her husband, Henry Bledowski, Duane Malcolm McDiarmid and his wife, Lori Esposito, and Caitlin Grace McDiarmid and her partner, Thaddeous Love. He was Great Uncle to the children of Mark, Joseph Solis McDiarmid, Daniel Stanton McDiarmid, and Julia Grace McDiarmid, the children of Duane, Fisher Ray McDiarmid, and Arlo Wren Esposito McDiarmid, the stepchildren of Caitlin, Zachary, Ruby, and Henry, and Great-great Uncle to Audrey Kamin Sanders (daughter of Julia). Robert M. Stanton's remains will be cremated, and buried in the military section of Forest Hills Cemetery in Madison in the Spring. A "bluegrass wake" will be held at The Malt House from 6 to 10 pm. on Sunday , February 9th at 2609 E Washington Ave (East Washington and Milwaukee) Donations should be made to the Sugar Maple Bluegrass Festival via their web page at http://www.fourlakesmusic.org using the "donations" tab -- add a note "for the Bob Stanton Fund." Or checks can be made out to: FLTMC (with memo Bob Stanton Fund) c/o FLTMC PO box 3299 Madison, WI 53704 Special thanks to the entire Madison bluegrass community, who helped Robert in his later years while coping with congenital heart failure, and especially during his recent illness, with an extra special thanks to Bob Batyko, who routinely went "above and beyond." Special thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff at the UW TLC unit, who gave Robert not just every possible chance to survive, but showed him love, patience, and care throughout his illness. Comments, photos, and anything about the Madison bluegrass scene can be posted at https://www.facebook.com/bobmstanton