Former Mandan mayor Bob Dykshoorn, the mover behind the preservation of the railroad depot, the refurbishing of Main Street and numerous other city projects, died Sunday morning. He was 52.

He was found dead by his wife, Shirley, in the couple's cabin on Lake Tschida, Darwin Roth, a Grant County deputy sheriff, said.

"I'm stunned, shocked," said Mandan city commissioner Dan Ulmer, who was first elected during the second of Dykshoorn's three terms as mayor. "I just feel for his family, his friends and the community as a whole. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family."

Among other Mandan projects Dykshoorn spearheaded were the freight house, the Depot, the Beanery, Burlington Northern Park, the bandshell, rebuilding First Street North, repairing the Sixth Avenue Southeast underpass, replacing the 10th Avenue Southwest overpass and rebuilding Sixth Avenue Northwest and the storm sewer.

Ken LaMont, who followed Dykshoorn into the Mandan mayor's chair, said he had some big footsteps to follow in.

"Most of what we are doing right now started with him," he said. "We've shown a lot of growth and those blueprints started when he was mayor.

"We are going to miss this guy. I'm in my fifth year and he has been a good mentor."

Morton County commissioner Mark Bitz said Mandan and Morton County lost a good citizen.

Bitz served on the Mandan City Commission for five of the 12 years that Dykshoorn was mayor.

"When you look at Main Street and First Street, they had been put off and put off," he said. "He had the drive to push them through when they were not popular things to do."

As mayor from 1988 to 2000, Dykshoorn claimed only one legacy: he was the only mayor to serve Mandan for more than one term since A.O. Henderson, who was mayor from 1928 to 1935.

"I don't think he got all the credit he deserved as a visionary for this city," LaMont said. "To put in 16 years serving this city said a lot for him as a person."

As co-owner of Dykshoorn Greenhouse south of Mandan, Dykshoorn had the flexibility to put in an almost full-time work schedule as mayor, and much of his work derived from his commitment to his many projects.

Dykshoorn donated the flowers for many of the city's street beautification projects.

"You'd see him in his pickup with water in the back end stopping to water the flowers," Ulmer said. "He probably forgot more projects than most people get involved with."

After three terms, Dykshoorn chose not to seek re-election as mayor, saying "The city's more prosperous and looks better."

He also served as a Mandan city commissioner from 1982 to 1986.

He lost two bids for state office, bowing in a North Dakota Senate race to incumbent Republican Dwight Cook in 2000 and losing in the Democratic primary for the secretary of state post in 1984.

Dykshoorn also served 31/2 years as North Dakota dairy commissioner from 1994 to 1997 after overcoming a challenge from the state hiring committee, who thought his mayoral responsibilities would detract from the dairy commissioner's duties.

When they asked him to resign as mayor, Dykshoorn refused, saying he wouldn't play by those rules. When he reapplied, state officials changed their minds about his duties as mayor.

A self-described "workaholic," Dykshoorn also had jobs as a Mandan High School teacher, legislative coordinator, computer instructor, campaign aide, legislative aide and head of the youth program at the Volunteer Action Center in Bismarck.

Dykshoorn, who booked bands while attending Jamestown College, was a dedicated concertgoer and rock 'n' roll music collector. He once estimated that he had seen more than 100 live shows, traveling to such far-flung venues as Missouri or Phoenix to attend concerts.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley, and two children, Allison, of Berkeley, Calif., and Ryan, Mandan. He also is survived by his stepmother, Janet Dykshoorn; a brother, Allan Dykshoorn, of Mandan; and three sisters, JoAnne Anderson, Buchanan, Mary Fleck, Mandan, and Janine Jacob, Mandan.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Church of Christ in Bismarck, and Weigel Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

(Reach reporter Richard Hinton at 250-8256 or outdoors@bismarcktribune.net.)