Robin Monroe League

Robin Monroe League, 89, Kansas City, Missouri, passed away October 22, 2011. Visitation will be held 11:00-11:30 a.m., Saturday, October 29, followed by a memorial service at 11:30 a.m. at Mt. Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri. Born October 20, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois, Robin was the elder son of artist Jefferson League and Gladyce E. MacFeely League. In 1940 he graduated from Nicholas Senn High School in Chicago, and in 1949 from the Goodman Theatre, School of Drama, Art Institute of Chicago with BFA and MFA degrees. During World War II he served as an NCO in the United States Army Air Force. In 1950 he joined the United States Air Force Reserve, and was active in many assignments as public affairs staff officer, including extended active duty for five years (1973-1978) at Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C. at the Pentagon. Following an aggregate of 35 years of active and reserve service he retired from the Air Force in 1982 and, as Colonel League, was decorated with the Legion of Merit. He worked as a writer, actor, announcer and producer in theatre, radio and television in Chicago and Kansas City; was artistic director of Kansas City’s Resident Theatre in the mid-1950s, returning often as guest director. He was a copy chief and broadcast production director for area advertising agencies. For more than a quarter century he served on the faculty of the University of Kansas City (1950-1952) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (1967-1992) in the departments of Speech & Theatre, and Communication Studies. In 1955 he began writing stage plays. He served on the boards of the Garden Center Association, Harry S. Truman Chapter of the Air Force Association (AFA), Friends of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, and was president of the Bonsai Society of Greater Kansas City and Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. He was vice-president of the local chapter of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and for 52 years was an active member of Actor’s Equity Assn. He was a perpetual member of the Military Order of the World Wars and a life member of AFA. He led a very full and dignified life. He is survived by his beloved wife, Sherry League of the home; a brother Richard League of Lawrence, Kansas; daughters, Susan League of St. Paul, Minnesota and Cynthia Stears of Marblemount, Washington; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Condolences may be offered at www.mtmoriah-freeman.com. Arrangements under the direction of Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, Kansas City, MO.