Timothy Michael Trabon

After the passing of his own father, fifty years ago this spring, Tim, then seventeen, was left with a Heidelberg letterpress and a final instruction from his father: “I have full confidence that my son, Tim, will carry on the family business.”

And that, he did. From those humble beginnings in the basement of his family home, Tim would surpass his father’s wildest dreams. Today, a half century later, the printing business not only endures, but thrives, by Tim’s design, in a digital age in which most family businesses have not.

But Tim could not settle on only one of life’s paths—he had places to go. Twenty-nine years old and eager to see the world, Tim, through sheer force of will, found himself under the wing of famed underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau. Only after years of trying and failing could he finally call the fabled Calypso, home. He went on to earn his red cap on expeditions that probed areas unknown, from the Amazon rainforest to the indigenous villages of Papua New Guinea. His business could wait, and his steadfast wife, Patti, told him to chase his dreams.

Later in life, horses, cattle, and the tough people who shepherd them charged into Tim’s life and would remain there until the end. Tim took to horses and they to him. Raising and caring for animals would become his greatest and most beloved lifelong challenge. On his ranch was where Tim felt most alive—his father had dreamed of having one, too.

Tim helped people, often those he did not know; hoping to give others the same small foothold that he had been given. Without hesitation, Tim and Patti welcomed a young girl, Delila, from war-torn Bosnia into the comforts of their home and soon called her one of their own. Tim had a soft spot for those who burned to live like he did.

All his life, Tim continued to chase new ideas and relationships and experiences, always following Patti’s nod. He co-founded an art education company with his son. He built an olive oil import business after a visit to his familial homeland, Sicily. He boxed heavyweight fighters. He rode bulls and broncos and motorcycles—all fast. He earned the respect of hardened cowboys and acclaimed artists, alike. He took his sons everywhere with him and showed them to be good men, and expected nothing else.

Tim inspired those who knew him and his absence will leave a cavernous hole in the hearts of all those who loved him. In the final months of his life, he wrote: “Say yes more than no. If there is a door in front of you, walk through it.” He left the rest to the divine.

Tim, son of Michael and Mary (Triscari) Trabon, is survived by his wife, Patricia; his sons, Michael (Roop Bhatti), Timothy, and Anthony; and his sister Elizabeth Brockman.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 23, 2018, between 4:00–7:00 p.m. at McGilley State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Road, Kansas City, Missouri.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 24, preceded by eulogy at 9:45 a.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11800 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri.

Charitable donations in honor of Tim may be made to Seton Center, 2816 E. 23rd Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Condolences may be left at www.mcgilleystatelinechapel.com