This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Sept. 27, 2011 - Mourners gathered tonight outside artist/entrepreneur Bob Cassilly's City Museum to pay tribute to the man whose art can be seen throughout the area. Cassilly, 61, died Monday morning in a bulldozer at the site of his newest project Cementland, under construction in north St. Louis.
The family has confirmed that services will be held this Saturday, Oct. 1 at local Catholic church, which has not yet been named. Cassilly will be cremated, and, in a private ceremony, his ashes will be spread over the Mississippi River near the Cementland amusement park site where he died in an apparent bulldozer accident.
Cassilly is credited for pioneering the revival of Washington Avenue with his massive collection of hands-on art and found objects that make up the museum.
Tonight, the City Museum creator and Turtle Park artist was remembered as a man of not only vision but action. Michael Powers, who created the Bob Cassilly memorial Facebook page shortly after hearing the news, and organized the candlelight vigil, told the Beacon that Cassilly's inspiration is his legacy.
