Bob came into my life when I was eight or nine years old. I have the fondest memories of him from my youth taking me fishing for the first time; taking me on my first tent camping adventure; teaching me about basketball like how to shoot a jump shot, lay-up, or hook shot. He even took me to my first major league baseball game in Kansas City. He taught me how to play penny-ante poker, and would laugh and give me my pennies back when I lost. He didn’t have to do any of that or take his wife’s kid brother along, but he did. Later, when I was going away to the Army in 1967, he shared his Army experiences with me from the time he served in the Army during the Korean War. He gave me a lot of good Army advice and any Army veteran who reads this will understand exactly what I mean. I always enjoyed his stories of driving to or from California in the 1940’s and the many adventures he had with the cars and hitchhiking and the breakdowns and all the things he did “back in the day.” And always, the stories he would tell about growing up in Southwest Missouri. Later, we talked politics and had to agree to disagree on many political issues, him being a Democrat and me a Republican. In the end, it all worked out and we remained friends. In many ways, losing Bob is more like losing a parent rather than a brother-in-law. He is someone I’ve known and could depend on all my life. Coming home to Springfield will never be the same. I will miss him.

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.