Bob “Daddy-O” Wade ’62
January 6, 1943 - December 23, 2019
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Tribute Service Set for January 5, 3 P.M., Ranch 616, Austin
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Iconic artist Bob “Daddy-O” Wade, internationally acclaimed sculptor, painter, photographer, and one of Tau Chapter’s most beloved alumni, passed away on December 23 at his home in Austin at age 76.
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Daddy-O was best known for his oversized sculptures and hand-tinted vintage photographs transferred to large canvases. His 40-foot-tall cowboy boots that have stood at the entrance of the North Star Mall in San Antonio since 1980 are documented in Guinness World Records as “The world’s largest pair of cowboy boots.” Other works include “Iggy,” the 40-foot-iguana, once a rooftop landmark at Lone Star Cafe in New York City and now residing over the Fort Worth Zoo, the Dancing Frogs, famous for many years at Carl’s Corner on Interstate 35, and the longhorns that span 25 feet across UT Alumni Center’s main lounge.
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Arriving as a pledge at the Kappa Sig House in 1961 in his customized 1951 Ford hot rod, with slicked-back hair and hipster style, an older Kappa Sig called him “Daddy-O,” a nickname that would be his lifelong moniker.
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An art major, he became the Kappa Sigs’ in-house artist, creating elaborate works of art that were enjoyed by his Tau brothers and envied by other fraternities on campus. In 2017, he completed a hand-tinted canvas entitled “Legendary Sigs,” now displayed in the Grand Room of Warren Residence Hall.
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Daddy-O was known for his talent, wit and joyful spirit, but he was also known for his deep devotion to his Kappa Sig brothers. Honored as Tau Man of the Year in 2017, he advised Tau Chapter Pledges in his acceptance speech to “Go after something with commitment. Forge new paths, make your own way, but lean on your brothers for help and, in turn, help them.”
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He earned a BFA from UT Austin and an MA from the University of California at Berkeley. He has produced four books and has received three NEA grants. His work has been exhibited in Biennials in Paris, New Orleans, and the Whitney Museum of Art in New York.
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Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature paid tribute to Daddy-O through resolutions adopted in both the State Senate and House of Representatives, congratulating him “on his mastery of oversized Texas symbols and the 40th anniversary of his World’s Largest Cowboy Boots.”
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Tau brother and close friend Monk White ’61, reflecting on the many good times he and Daddy-O shared over the years, said "Wherever Daddy-O would go, the fun would follow. For Daddy-O, too much was never enough.”
He is survived by his wife, Lisa, two daughters, Christine Codelli and Rachel Wade, three grandchildren, Ryan, Avery, and Cole Codelli, and son-in-law David Codelli.
A celebration of Daddy-O’s life is scheduled for Sunday, January 5, at 3 P.M., at Ranch 616 (616 Nueces Street) in Austin. All Kappa Sigs are invited. Dress attire is casual.
For those living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Steve "Cowboy" Murrin is considering a bus charter to and from Austin to attend Daddy-O's tribute. If you are interested, please call or text him at (817) 991-5595.
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