Arthur L.B Sr

Arthur L. Srb was born on April 16, 1930 in Dodge, NE to Frances Grace (Davey) and the Honorable Hugo Frank Srb. Art was the second child born of 5 children; Richard, Lois, Charles and Sarah. The family moved to Lincoln, NE in 1936. After attending the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, home of his beloved Cornhuskers, he joined the Navy, and was stationed on Guam during the Korean War. It was in the Navy where Art learned journalism, the trade that became the career he loved for 40 years. After Art's honorable discharge, Art worked for United Press International, and in 1956 he began his lengthy career with the Associated Press, in Des Moines, Iowa, Chicago and Springfield, Ill, and concluded in Madison, Wis., where Art headed the Madison Bureau covering politics and sports from his office at the Wisconsin State Capitol. He capped a distinguished career, during which he interviewed 5 U.S. Presidents and won the coveted AP Worldwide Award for Enterprise Journalism. Art also won the award for Newsman of the Year and the National AP Award for his investigative series about teachers who were sex offenders. His stories prompted the Wisconsin Legislature to pass a law requiring districts to report sex offense convictions to the state. Upon Art's retirement he wrote speeches for Gov. Tommy Thompson. Art often said that the three best things he ever did, was work for the AP, marry Helen Howard (Chamberlain), and raise his children Deborah Ann and John Arthur. In his later years, he included a forth love, his endearing lengthy relationship with Jean Rogers with whom he enjoyed sharing his life for over two decades. Art's professional passion was news. He taught generations of young journalists to be fair, accurate, speedy, and to not get their personal feelings into their stories. Art's other interests included gardening, his church activities as a baritone choir member, an elder and a deacon, listening to great music (especially jazz), his many pets, walking, running in marathons, meeting new people, talking and following the Badgers, Packers and St. Louis Cardinals. Art always looked to make every day count. By the time he hit 50, he said that he could die a very happy man. We will miss him terribly, but know that he is with his son John who preceded him in death, as well as his two brothers Richard and Chuck and he is singing in the heavenly choir, talking to his friends and family that went on before him, and the scores of generations that he never got to interview while on earth. He is survived by his daughter Deborah (Ronald) Hardaway of California, Jean Rogers of Mosinee, his two sisters Lois (Chuck) Miller of California and Sarah (Michael) Keating of Maryland, his grandson Christopher Srb, his great granddaughter Caslyn Srb, his daughter in law Susanne Srb, all of Colorado, and Helen Chamberlain of California, as well as his many nephews, nieces and their families. Arthur L. Srb died unexpectedly on Friday, April 6, 2012 of Alzheimer's and with complications from pneumonia at the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King, Wisconsin. His funeral will be on his birthday, April 16, 2012 at 1:00 P.M. following a visitation that will begin at 12:30 P.M. at the Covenant Presbyterian Church on Segoe Road in Madison, Wisconsin. Art will be laid to rest in his home state of Nebraska on April 21, 2012 with military honors.