Mr. Robert Graves Loftus

Robert Graves Loftus, 95, passed away peacefully on December 19, 2018, at Village House Hospice in Lee's Summit, MO from complications of dementia. He was born Feb. 28, 1923, in Niantic, IL to John Joseph and Nellie Ruth (Graves) Loftus.

Bob graduated from Niantic High School in 1940 where he was class president and a member of the basketball team. He then attended the University of Illinois and majored in animal science before volunteering for the U.S. Navy in 1944. Bob served as a flight instructor at Pensacola, FL during WWII where he earned the rank of Lieutenant.

He met his future wife, Jean Lois Irish, on a blind date while stationed in Iowa City, Iowa, as a cadet aviation officer. They were married on May 5, 1945, in Elmhurst, IL and returned immediately to his post in Memphis, TN. Upon his discharge from the Navy, they moved to his family's farm in Niantic, IL where their first child, Kathy, was born. They spent several years on a farm near Maroa, IL where their second child, Bob, was born. Their third son, Tim, was born in Decatur, II, where they lived for one year.

Bob earned his commercial pilot's license and was hired by Ozark Air Lines on April 1, 1957. The family relocated to Florissant, MO where Bob lived from 1957 to 1993. He remained employed with Ozark Air Lines until his retirement in 1983. During his time with Ozark he logged almost 30,000 flight hours beginning as co-pilot on DC-3. His favorite trip was the St. Louis to Springfield, Decatur, Champaign and Chicago so that he could fly over the family farm and check the crops. He later served on the Ozark Air Lines Pilots Mediation Committee and trained both Ozark and U.S. Navy pilots on the DC-9 flight simulator. He often remarked that he never thought he would "climb high enough on the seniority list to qualify as Captain on the new DC-9 jet equipment."

Bob and Jean moved to Ellisville, MO in 1993. In retirement, Bob earned his realtor license. Bob loved to bowl, swim, ice skate, and play golf. He was introduced to downhill skiing in Colorado in 1954, and continued to ski with his sons and grandchildren until his 80' birthday when he skied Steamboat, CO for the last time. In the summer of 2014, they moved to John Knox Village in Lee's Summit, MO.

Bob and Jean traveled extensively, including Canada, Guam, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Ireland, England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, Russia, Mexico, and all over the United States. They spent many wonderful days entertaining their family and loved to take their grandchildren to city parks, the St. Louis Arch, the St. Louis Zoo, and the Lake of the Ozarks. In his retirement, Bob and Jean assembled and decorated a large doll house for each granddaughter, complete with electric lights. Robert loved spoiling his great-grandchildren.

Bob is survived by his children: Kathy Howe in Columbia, Missouri; Bob (Kim) in San Clemente, California; and Tim (Denise) in Tustin, California. His grandchildren include: Jennifer (Todd Krueger) Howe, John (Carrie) Howe, Julie (Jason) How, Kyle (Brittany) Loftus, Andrew (Erin) Loftus, Ian Loftus, and Dominique Loftus. His great-grandchildren include Lucy, Kellen, and Maggie Howe; Amelia and Sarah Krueger; Arya and Jillian How; Grayson Loftus; and Bridgette Loftus.

He is also survived by brothers-in-law, Robert Irish in Denver, Colorado and Doug Irish in Scottsdale, Arizona; sister-in-law, Marilyn (John Polcyn) in Chino Hills, California, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. For the past five years he was lovingly cared for by the nurses and staff at John Knox Village and Village Hospice, Lee's Summit, Missouri.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 72 years, Jean; his brother, Joseph Loftus; sisters-in-law, Kay Loftus, Toby Irish, and Carolyn Irish; son-in-law, John Howe; and dear friend, Don Cline.

Visitation will be on Friday, December 28, at 10:30 a.m. followed by a funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m., at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 1001 E. 52nd St., Kansas City, MO 64110. Burial will be the following day at Calvary Cemetery, Illiopolis, IL.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

Honorary Pall Bearers: The nurses and staff of John Knox Village Memory Care Two

Funeral Pall Bearers: Robert, Tim, Kyle, Andrew, and Ian Loftus, John Howe, and Jason How

Burial Pall Bearers: Robert and Tim Loftus, Mike and Jeb Stacey