Robert Lee Hampton Sr.

Robert Lee Hampton, Sr. passed away on January 20, 2026, at the age of 85. Bob was born on March 28, 1940, in Satanta, Kansas, and grew up in nearby Ulysses, Kansas. Bob did well in school, participated in football and basketball, and excelled at track. One of his school sprinting records lasted for 20 years before it was broken. During high school, he also worked at a local grocery store owned by Russell Binney. Russell taught Bob how to manage a store, cut meat, and more importantly that you could work hard and enjoy it at the same time.

Bob attended Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia where he was also employed as a meat cutter at Safeway. There he met a checker working her way through college named Rosalie Howard. Upon graduating with a Master’s degree in Physics, Bob and Rosalie were married and moved to Kansas City, Kansas to be near her family. Bob taught high school math, physics, and programming in the KCK Public School System for 43 years. Bob was an excellent teacher respected by both students and faculty. He also continued to work at various Safeway stores around the KC metro area until 1995.

Bob enjoyed following college football and basketball, watching the Kansas City Chiefs, and was a competitive member of the family’s fantasy football league. He was an avid jigsaw puzzler and usually received a yearlong supply of puzzles each Christmas. Bob was as an impressive consumer of soda pop. Throughout the day, he would enjoy his soda pop and would travel with a small cooler of backups in case the place he was visiting didn’t have any. He was constantly on the lookout for the best deals on soda pop and maintained an astounding supply in his garage. Most importantly, Bob just enjoyed spending time with his family. He was very involved with all of his grandchildren’s activities and was a reliable videographer with his flip camera. He loved Disneyland and Disney World and took his children and grandchildren there many times. Bob was the family bedrock.

Bob is survived by his wife of 65 years, Rosalie, their children Sheri Mihelic and Bob Hampton Jr. (Kathleen), and four grandchildren Emily Wallace (Marty), John Mihelic, Katie Justus (Ben), and Joe Hampton. Bob was also thrilled to be able to spend some time with his two great grandsons Tate Wallace and Benny Justus. Bob is also survived by his sisters, Vicki Nichols and Susie Carson (Todd). He was preceded in death by his father, Dave Hampton, his mother Mary Hampton, and his sister, Georgene Weber.

Visitation will be held on January 27, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Chapel Hill-Butler Funeral Home, located at 701 North 94th Street, Kansas City, KS, 66112. Funeral service will be at 12:00 p.m., followed by graveside service and reception for family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Kansas City, Kansas Foundation for Excellence.

For your convenience, the service will be on Webcasting.