In Memoriam

Robert B. Dowst '57 He wanted everyone to enjoy the state's beauty By Anne Downey '95G

Bob Dowst '57 was not a native of New Hampshire, but he made it his home and served it brilliantly for 34 years. As a construction engineer and director of public works and transportation, Dowst left a visible and lasting legacy in the projects he supervised, including the Mount Washington summit building project, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway and the ski lifts and trail layout at Cannon and Sunapee ski areas. Dowst was a clear thinker and a good troubleshooter, but his greatest gift, friends and family say, was his selflessness—he pursued excellence for its own sake, not for credit or personal gain.

Dowst was born in Salem, Mass., the eldest of two boys. His family moved to Rochester, N.H., when he was young; his father worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and his mother was a proofreader for the Rochester Courier. Dowst loved the outdoors and grew up hiking, fishing, camping and hunting. It was a love that he passed on to his own children. "My dad wouldn't talk it through with us, he would just lead us to these beautiful natural settings," his son Jonathan '85, says. "I think it was spiritual for him, and he must have thought, 'How could anyone not love this?' Behind his career was a desire to give everyone exposure to the natural beauty of New Hampshire."

Dowst was a geology major at UNH, and a hard worker. He put himself through school by working as a bus boy at York Beach; managing his fraternity house, Acacia; painting houses; working on road construction crews; and coaching the UNH women's rifle team. He was vice president of the Outing Club, where he met his wife, Sylvia Hurlock '55. Their first date was in a duck blind on Great Bay. "We had to get special permission from the dean of women to get me out of the dorm at 4 a.m.," Sylvia remembers. "Bob and his roommate had a good laugh when they realized that I thought they were going to shoot the decoys, not real ducks." They married in 1956, and raised three children, including Leslie Dowst Woodard '80.

Dowst graduated after serving in the Army for two years in Germany, and began his career in the highway department, working on Interstate 93 along with his friend Bill Carpenter '55, '75G. "We loved the work," Carpenter says. "We were like kids in a sandbox, playing with Tonka toys." Both Dowst and Carpenter were members of the Chowder Club, a hunting and social club formed by highway engineers and supervisors. "The last one to shoot a deer during hunting season got to be president," Carpenter remembers.

As director of public works, Dowst was involved in siting, architect selection and development of construction plans and specifications for all state building projects, except for those at UNH. He also worked closely with the state Legislature on capital budgets for all state agencies. "My dad used to call the Legislature 'the 400 wise men,'" Jonathan Dowst says. "It was a crazy process, trying to get them to approve projects. But he figured out that over time, his reputation as an honest person with no ulterior motive would win out."

The projects varied, from building courthouses and renovating state prisons to replacing seawalls and building bathhouses. "Bob was as comfortable in the office as he was in the field," Carpenter says. "He was very dedicated, tenacious, firm but fair. He earned respect from both peers and politicians because it was clear that his heart was in the right place. He wanted to build successful projects for future generations of residents and tourists alike to enjoy."

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