Rob Borsellino (June 20, 1949 - May 27, 2006), was a newspaper columnist who achieved celebrity status throughout the state of Iowa before his death in May 2006. His articles for the Des Moines Register, which appeared three times weekly, became wildly popular due to Borsellino's colloquial writing style and ability to tell a story straight from the heart. His columns appeared several times in such publications as USA Today, Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post, and some of his columns were published in the 2005 book So I'm Talkin' To This Guy... (ISBN 1888223669).

In November 2004, Borsellino was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's Disease. His announcement in February 2005 that he had this crippling illness sent shockwaves throughout the state of Iowa. During his very public battle, Borsellino's community support was overwhelming. On April 21st, 2006, legendary musicians Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard traveled to Des Moines to perform a concert in Borsellino's honor, raising over $100,000 for the ALS Association.

Borsellino died in Des Moines on May 27th, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Rekha Basu, also a Register columnist; and his sons Raj, 19, and Romen, 16.

External links

• Rob Borsellino at The Des Moines Register

1949 births | 2006 deaths | People from Des Moines, Iowa