Over the years, Bob has served 15 churches as worship leader/ music director and continues to speak in church and civic settings. He has founded or directed 10 musical and drama groups including the Sacred Tones, the Vietnamese Children’s Choir, Wyoming Civic Chorus and Theater, the Voices in Reflection, the Kentwood Senior Chorale, and others. Additionally, he is the founder of Alpha Omega Ministries, a faith-based service that provides travel and music programs in many communities.
As well as directing musical productions, Azkoul has appeared in several theatre and movie performances, especially dear to him were many years in Calvary Church positions. Azkoul also served for 35 years in public education as teacher, coach, counselor, principal. Appointed the first cross-country coach at G.R. Junior College, Bob's only losses were to Western. He also assisted in the counseling department at Western for a semester.
Outside of the musical world, Azkoul has been in real estate sales, athletic officiating, a Department of Michigan Corrections School Supervisor, and a travel agent/ tour guide for 25 years.
Although retired from formal employment for more than 30 years, Bob continues to enjoy ministering on a weekly basis to churches, retirement centers, and care homes. He also enjoys distributing Bibles and tracts in other countries.
As a child, Azkoul was raised as a Christian in an immigrant family. Faith was incredibly important to his family, and he feels blessed to this day to have been instilled with a servant’s heart. As a pre-teen, Azkoul earned money doing odd jobs, selling door-to-door, working in grocery or drug stores, doing lawn work, and working as a press boy. He earned a scholarship in track to WMU after setting the state junior college record in the 400 m dash.
At WMU, Azkoul was most active in campus life, serving and growing his talent. Among the many influential mentors he encountered, J. Towner Smith (then Dean of Men), was an assuring friend and counselor; Clayton Maus (Bob’s first Track Coach), who visited his mother to assure her of his sincerity; Elwyn Carter (Voice Coach and Dean of the Music Department), who inspired Azkoul with his directing techniques; Paul Sangren (former President of WMU), who was not only a great administrator, but a friend; George Dales (former WMU Track Coach, and world-renown track and field expert), who is a friend of the Azkoul’s to this day; and “unsung hero” James Seager (Chef in Burnham Hall), who was a boss and loyal supporter.
“Western was indeed a University where families could expect faculty members and staff to provide and care for their students on a high quality level,” Azkoul recalled.
He remembers vividly a moment from his time as a student that has continued to impact his life:
“It was a bright afternoon, May 1953, in the Spring of the year, as a group of music students were standing on the stairway of the old music building. We were discussing final concerts and graduation, while looking out through the wall of windows, waiting for the rain to subside.
As it did, a beautiful rainbow arched its way through the clouds, coming to rest on the ground, just 50 yards away. I exclaimed to my friends to wait right there as I descended the stairs and ran out to find the ‘end of the rainbow.’
Then watching them, they motioned me to move right to the very spot as the rainbow engulfed my body. No, there wasn’t a pot of gold, but I have come to feel in my spirit that the Lord himself promised me a wonderful life of service and reward, which I now know has resulted in his wonderful gift;
'A love of Life and Music with a lot of both to give.' ”
Photo Courtesy: (left) 1953 Brown & Gold Yearbook; (right) Bob Azkoul.