It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of George Robert “Bob” Tod ’61, trustee emeritus and lifelong friend of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, on July 22 at the age of 85.

Bob earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from RPI, where he was also a member of the Air Force ROTC and the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. His skill and passion for racing boats led him to break the world speed record for B Stock Outboard Hydroplanes in 1960 and 1961. His record held for over a decade, earning him the nickname “Hot Toddy.”

Following graduation, he was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force, ultimately rising to captain, before going on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1967.

Bob worked as a group manager at Bangor Punta Corporation prior to co-founding CML Group, a specialty marketing firm in which he went on to serve as Vice-Chair, President, and COO. He played a pivotal role in the company's listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 1983 and worked with companies including Boston Whaler, Ericson Yachts, Kelty, Sierra Designs, Carroll Reed Ski Shops, Britches of Georgetown, The Nature Company, Smith & Hawken, and NordicTrack before his retirement in 1998.

An active member of RPI’s Board of Trustees from 1981 to 2017, Bob received the Rensselaer Alumni Association (RAA) Alumni Key Award in 1986 and the RAA Albert Fox Demers Medal in 2013. He was also a member of the Livingston W. Houston ’13 Society. Beyond RPI, he served on the boards of a number of educational institutions, hospitals, and Fortune 500 companies.

The Honorable Arthur J. Gajarsa ’62, chairman emeritus of the Board of Trustees, told me, “Bob and I overlapped as students here, and we each took the skills and habits of mind we learned in engineering and applied them to entirely new fields, which is a testament to the quality and versatility of an RPI education. We also served together on the Board of Trustees during a transformative time in the history of the Institute. This would not be the school it is today without his vision and dedication.”

Bob is survived by his wife of 60 years, JoAnn Anderson Tod; his son, Rob; his daughter, Jennifer; and his six beloved grandchildren, Eliza, Mackenzie, Taryn, Greta, Lucy, and Davis.

The adventurous spirit that drove Bob’s need for speed, the entrepreneurialism that led him to found, guide, and advise successful businesses and organizations, and the commitment to family and community that he demonstrated throughout his life and career made him an exemplary RPI alumnus. All who knew him will miss him dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues.