Longtime Pine Bluff banking executive Robert Clifton Dill died Wednesday at the age of 77, after a long illness. He was born May 23, 1943, in Lonoke County near England, Ark., the oldest of five brothers, to Carl "Tinker" Dill Jr. and Hazel Kinley Dill.
Dill joined Simmons First National Bank of Pine Bluff in 1966 and retired in 2013 after a 47-year career during which he became known as "the face of Simmons First" by virtue of his appearance in numerous television commercials for the bank.
Ryan Dill described his father as loving and a good friend, a devoted husband who loved to laugh and enjoyed a good practical joke, even when it was played on him.
"One time, me, my father, and my mom were headed to a restaurant here in Pine Bluff," Ryan remembered. "I'm driving, and Dad's got a song on the radio that he loves and he's singing to when all of a sudden, the station changes. Of course, he blamed me, but I've got my hands at 10 and 2 so no way I'm doing it. It happens three or four more times and he's getting more and more on my [case]. Well, we get to the restaurant and I go to open Mom's door, and she falls out on the ground laughing. She was changing the radio from the back seat the whole time."
Ryan said that incident summed up well the relationship his father and mother had, but he said his father could also be serious when the situation warranted it, and whatever the circumstance, his father's life centered on his family.
"Whenever something serious would happen, we would talk it over as a family," he said. "That's how it was. He was very family-oriented, and he loved his brothers, his family, he loved God, he was just a very special person."
When Ryan's mother, Robert's wife of 52 years, died April 3, 2019, Ryan said his father was heartbroken.
"There's no doubt about it, he had a broken heart the whole time," Ryan said. "Him and my mom got married when he was 23 and she was 22. Well, he was 26 when his youngest brother was born, so my mom's been in the family longer than the youngest brother. With her being an only child, she embraced all of them as her brothers, and they all embraced her as a sister, and they all had a special bond with her."
Jimmy Dill, fourth of the five brothers, agreed.
"He missed her every day," he said of Robert. "Every day. She was in his life as long as I can remember. I think they started dating in the 10th grade, and I never knew life without her. She kind of adopted us, and we sure adopted her."
'Uncharted Waters'
Jimmy said Robert was an inspiration and a leader to all four brothers, and he set an example of hard work, good humor and generosity.
"He was the oldest of five brothers so everything was uncharted waters for him," Jimmy said. "We looked up to him to lead us to wherever we thought we wanted to go. We thought we could do a lot of things, but we were just country boys from England, Ark."
But, he said, each of those country boys found success far beyond what might have been expected of the children of a sharecropping family.
Jimmy said his parents "were known as Big Daddy and Big Mama."
"Daddy was a sharecropper at Seetun Dump. It's now known as Seaton, but it was Seetun Dump back then. Daddy had a saying, 'A pocket full of rocks and a head full of knowledge, I'd rather go to Seetun than any other college.'"
After a while, Jimmy said, their father left sharecropping and moved the family to England were he got a job as a janitor at Worthen Bank, then went into business with his father, who owned a grocery store. He later started his own grocery store and then opened a cafe in England named City Cafe.
"That's really where we grew up waiting tables," he said. "We had most of our meals there. My younger brother is 17 years behind me, so he didn't experience that. But I was the baby of the family for 17 years, and that's what we did for a living. It was a family business."
He said Robert soon tired of waiting tables, and in 1961 started college at Henderson State College (now Henderson State University).
"I don't know how he did it because Mama and Daddy couldn't help him. They had to feed four boys and four boys eat quite a lot," Jimmy said. "He comes home from a year at Henderson, and again, my dad and mom couldn't help him, they didn't have it and we understood that. He told Dad, 'I don't think I can go back to college unless I have a car. Everybody else has one, and you got to have something to be able to get around.'"
"My dad looked at him and said, 'I don't [care] if you ever go back,' and he turned around and walked off. A lot of people would have had second thoughts about what they said, but my dad didn't. Again, he was trying to feed a family."
So, Jimmy said, Robert left college after one year and got a job selling cars for a time at Cox Brothers Pontiac in England, and from there went to Simmons Bank.
"He went inside and asked for a job," Jimmy said. "They said, 'we don't have anything except maybe if you want to sweep the floor in the mailroom, maybe we could pay you to do that.' He said, 'show me a broom.'
"They gave him a broom and he started working, worked himself up to when he retired he was the executive vice president of Simmons Bank, and he was the face of Simmons Bank, there was no question about it."
As head of marketing at Simmons, Jimmy said Robert was responsible for working up the ads and television commercials for the bank, appearing in them himself as spokesman.
"He was a big part of the reason why Simmons became a statewide force in the banking community," he said. "He had contacts and friends with a lot of good people who helped him, and he helped them, too."
Robert was well-known and well-respected in the banking community, and was loved by his co-workers, all of whom recalled his sense of humor and gregarious personality.
'A mentor and motivator'
Amy Johnson Hunt, who worked with Robert for many years in the marketing department, said she loved Robert -- as did everyone at the bank.
"Everybody loved Robert, and he loved everybody," she said. "And he treated everybody exactly the same."
At work, people were attracted to Robert, she said, because he could turn the mundane into something special.
"No matter what the function was, everyone wanted to be at Robert's table," she said. "He could take a boring event and make it enjoyable. He loved a good joke, and he loved a good story."
As a boss, Hunt said, Robert was "ahead of his time. As a marketer, he would say, 'let's throw it against the wall and see if it sticks.' He was very cutting edge. And he loved to win."
Hunt said her former boss was quite the motivator, as well.
"We all called him Mr. Simmons," she said. "He would say, 'I started in the mailroom in overalls.' There was no one more dedicated to Simmons Bank than Robert."
Hunt said Robert's relish for life and people was genuine and extended into retirement.
"He'd be somewhere and a former bank employee would come over and say hello and hug his neck, and it didn't matter how long the person wanted to talk, Robert would stand there and visit with them. He just saw everyone as important."
Shannon Morgan worked side-by-side with Robert as his assistant for more than 20 years. She said she went to work for him when she was 19 or 20 years old, and Robert taught and guided her.
"I learned so much from him over the years," she said, adding that "he treated you like family."
"He was quite a character," she said. "He never met a stranger."
'A Love of Life'
Bob Smithey, a longtime State Farm Insurance agent in Pine Bluff, said he was brought to tears when he heard the news Wednesday night that his good friend had died.
"He and I were extremely close, and I don't know that I'll ever get over it," Smithey said. "I can't tell you how much he meant to me. He's just the best friend I've ever had."
Smithey said his wife, Anne, worked for Robert for 35 years, which is when he and Robert developed their friendship. Smithey said Robert was lucky to have lived as long as he did, relaying a story of when Robert almost died.
He said Robert was having a procedure done in a cardiac catheterization lab, and his heart stopped.
"They put the paddles on him three times, and that's usually the limit," Smithey said. "But the doctor said his stints would work and to use the paddles one more time. When they did it a fourth time, Robert gathered his breath, and it revived him."
After that, Smithey said, Robert had 15 good years, during which they traveled together and played golf. But doctors told Robert that he had only about 20% use of his heart, and despite medicine and exercise to strengthen his heart, "time took care of things."
Smithey said Robert was "gregarious" and "if you weren't part of his group, he would invite you in. He was just a wonderful man."
Because of Robert's many business connections, he was able to invite Smithey to attend the Masters Tournament five times, eventually making Smithey the "travel agent" who would arrange travel for others from the community.
"Robert was a man that understood the magic of laughter and that life is a gift and that you should live it the best way you can," Smithey said. "He was always up."
'Personal Connections'
Tommy May, former president and CEO of Simmons Bank, also retired in 2013. He said his friendship with Robert goes back more than 40 years.
"I knew him when I was in El Dorado, and we worked together at Simmons Bank and the Simmons First Foundation for 33 years," May said. After his start at the bank in 1966, May said, Robert rose quickly, soon becoming an integral part of the bank.
In 1968, he said, Robert became manager of the Proof and Transit Department, and was promoted to operations officer the following year.
"During his 47 years with Simmons First, he spent 40 of those years in the Marketing Group," he said. "In fact, you could say he established the Marketing Group."
May said Robert was promoted to marketing officer in 1970. Then in 1973 he was named assistant vice president of marketing. In 1977, he was named vice president of marketing, then senior vice president of marketing in 1983, executive vice president of marketing in 1985, and finally executive vice president/marketing director.
May said it was Robert's personality, integrity and work ethic that endeared him to so many people and contributed to the growth of Simmons First.
"Robert never met a stranger, and he was the epitome of delivering quality customer service," he said. "He was known throughout the state as a fun person to be around and somebody who knew everyone. And Robert's word was his bond. If he said he would help get something done, he either got it done or facilitated making it happen."
May said his colleague's presence on television through Simmons First ads made him one of the most well-known people in the state, and even people who had never met him felt connected to him.
"You thought the connection was personal because you always saw Robert on TV, people knew him as Mr. Simmons," he said. "He was a natural at doing ads, and he loved every minute. I don't believe Simmons could ever find a better person to represent our bank and focus on delivery of quality customer service, as Robert Dill. He was number one, as he reminded me every time we did his salary review."
May said that over his lifetime, Robert generated so many "Robert stories" that he was hard-pressed to pick a favorite.
"On the occasion of my father's funeral visitation, the pastor and a group of folks were talking when I walked up," May recalled. "The pastor told me my dad always talked a lot about the white-haired guy on the bank ads, and he asked if he was there and asked to meet him. Robert came over, and the pastor said he heard Robert made Simmons Bank what it was today, to which Robert replies 'not really, but thank you.' I left and later the pastor thanked me for the introduction and said 'I'm really impressed with your president.' I said, 'you mean Robert?' and he said yes. He said, 'I told him many folks were proud of the job he was doing as president, and Robert smiled and said, 'well it's a team effort.'
"Of course, Robert was not president, but most folks thought he was."
May said many other "Robert stories" were generated through the years, most of which should probably not be repeated.
"I'm sure you will hear about Dr. Dill, Paul Eells, and the best was, he and Bob Smithey eating chicken wings and discarding them by throwing the bones in the back of Anne Smithey's new Cadillac, which was not smart," May said. "And there were the SEC playoffs in Atlanta when the tornado hit the arena."
May said Robert's love for Simmons and the team he put together and the enjoyment he got out of being in front of the camera, being the face of Simmons First, the love he had for his family and friends, and the joy he got out of being around the people he loved, made him unique and irreplaceable.
"If he needed to exaggerate a little about something being bigger and better, he could make it happen," May said. "Robert loved people and always took the time to meet and greet them. He and MarJo, they were Cliff and Rita to us, were like a second mother and father to our four children, their spouses and our grandkids."
May said Robert took his children and grandchildren to SEC basketball tournaments, played in golf tournaments with them, and even brought them Christmas gifts every year and would stay to drink a "cola" or two.
"Robert was outside our house when my son graduated from high school with a limo and a bottle of champagne," he said. "I said you can't give him champagne; he said it was just a coke in a champagne bottle ... right. We love Robert, MarJo, Callie and Ryan like family. God blessed me when he brought Robert into my life -- most of the time."
Having Robert as the face of the Simmons organization for so many years, he said, made Pine Bluff, Simmons Bank, Arkansas banking, and many others better for having his involvement, and he said over the years, Robert befriended many people in banking, community leaders, governors and even a couple of presidents.
"What you see is what you get with Robert," he said. "Robert is now with MarJo, and we are all better off for having known Cliff and Rita.
'Mr. Simmons'
Simmons CEO George Makris described Robert as a great friend and golfing trip partner who loved and was fiercely loyal to Simmons Bank.
"Most stories about Robert cannot be told in mixed company, but suffice it to say that Robert with his quick wit was always entertaining." Makris said. "I have heard several people refer to him as Mr. Simmons because he was, literally, the face of Simmons Bank. Robert developed a wide and diverse network of friends throughout Arkansas. One of his closest friends was Dale Nicholson and when those two got together, there was a good chance you could get hurt from laughing so hard."
Makris said Robert enjoyed visiting friends and catching up on family, and that as head of marketing, Robert developed close personal relationships that transcended business.
"That's one of the things I will remember most about Robert," he said. "He will be greatly missed by many, many folks."
'New Orleans Escapade'
Jimmy described his brother as a big man with a larger-than-life personality who loved to joke and wasn't above stretching the truth a little if it meant he could get a good table at a fancy restaurant.
"One of my favorite stories about him was when he was at a banking convention in New Orleans and he had befriended some banking executives from other states" he said. "They were drinking and having a good time and decided they wanted to go get something to eat and were wondering where they could go."
Jimmy said the idea was floated that the group should go to Commander's Palace, a high-end restaurant that has been a New Orleans landmark since 1893.
"I've never been there but I understand it's a pretty swanky place, a pretty pricey place, and a hard place to get into," he said. "You've got to have reservations and all that."
Jimmy said Robert related that he told everyone in the group, which he said was about 10 couples ("I don't know, the story gets bigger every year") that he would see if he could get everyone in, so without reservations they headed for the restaurant.
"They got there and there was a long line so Robert told everyone to wait, that he'd see if he could get them in," he said. "He told the maitre d' that he had a large party and needed a table and when the maitre d' asked if he had a reservation he said, 'Yes, it's in the name of Dr. Dill and his group.'
"And the maitre d' told him they didn't have a reservation, so he started quite a stir and got a little bit louder. 'I'm Dr. Dill, do you not understand? I made a reservation and if you don't have it down, obviously someone has made a mistake in here.'"
Jimmy said as Robert got louder, the maitre d' got flustered and finally arranged for a table. He said the group had settled in, and Robert was basking in the success of the prank when, after about 10 or 15 minutes, the maitre d' returned.
"He says, 'Dr. Dill, we need you. We think there's someone having a heart attack over here,'" Jimmy said. "Robert said, 'Now wait a minute, I'm not on duty right now,' but the maitre d' said the guy needed help right then. It turns out the guy was choking, so Robert gets up and goes over, and he'd seen one of those deals where you do the Heimlich, so he picks him up, turns him around and squeezes him real hard, and a chunk of meat comes flying out of his mouth and across the room and the guy can breathe again.
"And they were all just, 'oh, Dr. Dill, thank you, you saved his life,'" Jimmy continued, beginning to break up with laughter. "When he got back to the table he told the maitre d', 'Now look, I'm off duty from now on. I don't want to see any more patients. Don't come get me for anything.' He liked to have got his butt in real trouble telling them he was something he wasn't, but that's one of my favorite stories."
Robert's daughter Callie laughed at the memory of the story.
"People still, when they see me, they'll ask, 'has your dad ever told you his Dr. Dill story?'" Callie said. "I'm like, 'oh, yeah.' That's a famous story. It's really funny, and it sums my dad up big time on the kind of person he was. He loved entertaining people, he loved being the social person, people loved him and if he said he was going to do something, well, damn it, he was going to find a way to do it if at all possible."
Callie described her father as not only outgoing and gregarious, but a loving father and devoted husband.
"He was an extraordinary man," she said. "I am so glad I was able to know him. I am so lucky to have him as my father."
'Epitome of a big brother'
Jimmy summed up his relationship with his oldest brother, saying he could not imagine a better person to act as a role model and inspiration.
"You hear stories about big brothers. He was the absolute epitome of a big brother," he said. "As we went on, each of us attended college just a little bit more. My brother Wayne went to college down at Monticello, David attended college down in Monticello, then I attended college at Henderson, then went on to law school, so I went to a level that nobody in my family had ever gone to but we were all a success, all of us.
"I talk about the luck and all that but it's the Great American Story," Jimmy continued. "We started out in Seetun Dump and ended up in England, Ark., and we're proud to be from there, but the bottom line is that we had nobody in our family, no uncles, no aunts, nobody to give us any guidance in how to get into the business world other than working in the grocery store and the cafe. Robert set the example and brought the rest of us along."
Funeral arrangements, incomplete at press time, are being handled by Ralph Robinson and Son Funeral Directors in Pine Bluff.
