Robert Edward Knitter

Robert Edward Knitter passed away peacefully in his sleep alongside family on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, at the age of 65, after a long-fought battle with cancer.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Irene Knitter-Cunningham (Stolzenbach), who passed away in 2013, and Edward J. Knitter, who passed away in 1985.

Robert (or Bob as he preferred to be known) was born on November 11, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois. In 1956, he moved with his family to the greater Kansas City area, where he spent the remainder of his life as a family man, a successful business owner, and a pillar of his community.

Growing up, he spent his time playing baseball, where he became quite the notable little-league star in his hometown. He also worked alongside his family at his parent’s roller rink in Grandview, MO (the Grandview Roller Rink). He graduated from Ruskin High School in 1972, and went on to earn an accounting degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City in 1978.

On May 22, 1976, Bob married Judy L. Nutt, who he had known from his days of competitive skating and working at his parent’s roller rink. The two would remain side by side for the next 44 years, and together they would raise four children in the little Kansas City suburb of Raymore, MO.

With life-long aspirations to be his own boss (like his father), Bob purchased a struggling little real estate company located in a tiny strip mall on Pine Street in Raymore, MO, in 1986. Over the next 34 years, he would work tirelessly to build this small company into a growing, successful business that he was proud to call his own, and his alone. Through the years his company operated under various names and franchises, but was most notably known as Coldwell Banker All American Realty. In 2003, Bob broke ground on a large, upscale office building located in Remington Plaza in Raymore, MO. This office space was the physical representation of the fruits of his labor, decades of hard work, and was where his company resided until its official closure in March of 2020.

In 2012, Bob was diagnosed with grade IV glioblastoma brain cancer, and was told he only had months left to live. However, through sheer stubbornness, and by the grace of God, he was able to fight for seven and a half years, and became a miracle in his own right. During that time he endured countless hospital visits, surgeries, treatments, and infections, but through it all he remained positive, and was unwavering in his desire to live. Whenever one course of action would fail, he would immediately ask, “Okay, what else do you got,” all the way up to the very end. Throwing in the towel was not in his nature; he continued to work every day and provide as he always had. He was dedicated to caring for his family, and would do so until the end.

Bob was a lot of great things to a lot of people: an attentive and compassionate son, an obnoxiously lovable brother, a dedicated and humble employer, a loyal and caring friend, but above all else, a loving husband, and an amazing father. His family meant everything to him, and he loved nothing more than spending time with his wife and four kids. His greatest joy in life was watching his children learn, grow, and succeed. He always believed in them when they did not believe in themselves, and he encouraged them when they themselves had doubts. Bob always said the happiest time of his life was going out on the road, attending his kids’ swim meets, and watching them compete and have fun. Above all else, Bob saw himself as a protector and provider, and his mission in life was to shield his family from pain and give them a life better than his own.

Bob is survived by his wife Judy Knitter, his son Chris Knitter and his wife Whitney, his son Ryan Knitter and his wife Diana, his two daughters Ashley and Lindsey Knitter, his sister Bonnie Hubler and her husband Richard, and his stepfather Gene Cunningham.

The family would like to sincerely thank the staff members of John Knox Village Care Center for the love and care they provided Bob in the final days of his life. They would also like to express sincere gratitude to the staffs of The University of Kansas Hospital, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, and Research Medical Center, for the care and support provided over the last seven and a half years. Without your talents, our time with Bob would have been cut far too short. Through your efforts, you helped provide years of invaluable memories, and we are eternally grateful.

Visitation and A Celebration of Life will be held June 26th, 2021 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Raymore, Missouri.