Robert McQuain

The only child of Jay David and Lena McQuain Bob grew up in the Washington DC area often visiting and spending summers at the McQuain homestead in Elkins West Viriginia as well He graduated from Fork Union Miltary Academy and later attended William and Mary College Mr McQuains big break came when he appeared playing Sir Walter Raleigh in the famous outdoor theatre production of The Lost Colony of Roanoke a wonderful historical production still ongoing today in North Carolina where the historical event actually took place This was also the venue in which actor Andy Griffith had got his own early start When Mr Griffith returned to NC for a visit he caught a performance and met Mr McQuain This lead to a subsequent friendship an introduction to Andys Agent Mr Richard Linc and their circle of friends in the business a move to Hollywood years of behindthescenes studio work experience several 14 small bit parts on the 1960s The Andy Griffith Show as well as Gunsmoke Perry Mason and a made for TV Disney twopart movie called Bristol Face all in the timehonored practice of grooming an actor for a beak in a leading role However Mr McQuain was bucking up against a rival look alike at the time with the sudden recent success of actor James Garner But by this time Mr McQuain was finding more interest working behind the camera as manager of the Title Optical and Special Effects Department at CFI Consolidated Film Labs in Hollywood where he worked for ten very innovative years He then made a move to use his natural likability and knowledge of the industry as a freelance agent booking talent on television and radio talk shows and promotion of all kinds By 1975 times were changing with the 72 LA earthquake the oil crisis and Holywood changing for good from its golden era Mr McQuain pulled up roots leaving Hollywood for good and moved his family to Oregon He became a licensed real estate agent and soon opened up his own brokerage office with agents and family being apart of it all He also ran successfully for local political office Tall with a deep booming voice it was hard to forget the friendly Mr McQuain once you met him A devoted family man he had a great interest in genealogy and researched the McQuain family lineage Still working actively in commercial real estate and family financial planning to the end Mr McQuain died unexpectedly in December 1999 He was loved by a great many