Robert Munroe

Robert “Bob” Munroe, 90, of Wichita Kansas, passed away Monday, February 26, 2024. He was born in Andover Kansas on November 20, 1933, to John and Maggie (Wilson) Munroe. Bob had graduated from Wichita East High in 1951. He then joined the United States Marine Corps in 1953 service as a sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1956. In January of 1954, he married Ethel Walters and they celebrated a loving 62 years and three beautiful kids before she passed away in 2016. Robert graduated from Wichita State University in 1965 with a Bachelor's in Electrical engineering.

Bob started working for Boeing as a flight test instrumentation engineer in November of 1956 for 32 years before retiring in 1989 at the age of 55. In his spare time, he volunteered his time with the Boy Scouts for over 30 years. After retiring from Boeing Robert was able to pursue his second career doing woodworking. Bob started by making neckerchief slides for his cub scouts and spent many years dedicated to studying bird wood carvings. His normal medium was Basswood, Tupelo, copper, brass, and Alkyd paint. Bob was well known throughout the central part of the country for his carvings realism, and natural-looking pieces. His life-like birds were created by texturing and paint to give them a look of soft fluffy feathers. He would further enhance them by adding flowers, leaves, grass, and other natural-looking habitat. The final pieces were painted with alkyd paints, using a wet-on-wet technique, allowing the colors to blend into soft warm colors. All pieces then were mounted on natural driftwood and walnut or rosewood bases.

Robert had received numerous awards for his work, receiving his first blue ribbon at his first competition in 1983. Many ribbons and several best-of-show awards followed. In addition to being a wildfowl carver, he was an instructor in bird carving at many seminars each year. Bob also served as a judge for many woodcarving shows in the Central States area.

Preceding Bob in death are his parents, loving wife, Son David, Sisters Ruby, Fern, Margie, and Nellie, and Brother John. Surviving him is his Son Gary Munroe, Daughter Jo Degner, 9 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great grandson, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, February 29, 2024, from 5 PM to 7 PM with family present at DeVorss Flanagan-Hunt Mortuary, and a Celebration of Life will be Friday, March 1, 2024, at 11 AM at DeVorss Flanagan-Hunt Mortuary located at 201 S. Hydraulic Ave., Wichita, Kansas, 67211 and burial will follow at noon at White Chapel Memorial Gardens located at 1806 N Oliver St, Wichita, KS 67208.

Serving as pallbearers are Chris Martinson, Josh Martinson, Dustin Meier, Aaron Meier, Shad Munroe, Jordan Thome, Taylor Munroe and Nick Degner.