Robert Penrose Jr.

Robert “Bob” Penrose Jr., 83, of Olathe, Kansas, passed away peacefully on September 5, 2026, after a brief illness. Born January 22, 1943, Bob met life’s many challenges with steady resolve and fought to the end with determined strength. He was revered with an honor walk through the VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, draped with the U.S. flag, as military and medical staff saluted his final exit with valor.

Bob proudly served in the U.S. Army as a flight instructor and mechanic. Aviation remained a defining thread throughout his life: in 1966, he purchased his first airplane, an Aeronca Chief 65c, and over the years his skill and discipline carried him to certification to fly a Hawker jet. He retired from Van Enterprises in Kansas City after 30 years as a private pilot. While flying required extensive travel and meticulous planning, Bob never lost sight of what mattered most to him—being home with family.

A man of ingenuity and practical wisdom, Bob was a creative, resourceful handyman who could fix nearly anything. He believed in repair over replacement, often restoring items with such care that they seemed better than new—an approach that reflected both his self-reliance and his thoughtful attention to detail.

In retirement, Bob embraced the outdoors, cherishing hunting and fishing with his son and trusted friend, Aaron. He also discovered a new passion in traditional archery, handcrafting wooden longbows and arrows with patience and pride. He co-founded Prairie Traditional Archers along the banks of the Kansas River in DeSoto, Kansas, and found particular joy in sharing archery with his grandchildren, teaching with a steady hand and a generous spirit.

Bob was also a friend of nature at home, thriving in his flower beds and taking quiet satisfaction in a well-kept lawn and manicured plants. After a day of hard work, he enjoyed relaxing outside, content in the simple peace of the world he tended.

Bob attended Christian Brothers High School in Quincy, Illinois, and Lewis College in Joliet, Illinois. He later studied at Spartan College of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he became certified in flight instruction.

For more than 58 years, Bob was married to the love of his life, Bonnie. Together they traveled and worked throughout Texas, Alabama, and Arizona before settling back in Illinois, and eventually making their home in Kansas—building a life marked by devotion, perseverance, and shared purpose.

Bob will be remembered for his fierce independence and an encyclopedic mind. A voracious reader who stayed up to the minute on current events, he could speak with anyone about nearly anything, bringing both clarity and conviction to conversation. He remained as fit and active as his body would allow and was notably committed to using his Chuck Norris Total Gym. He loved riding his bicycle on the wooded trails of Olathe with his daughter, Angela—sometimes pausing to wait for her to catch up. When his body required it, he accepted a mobility scooter and continued to enjoy the trails and the simple pleasure of reeling in fish from a nearby pond.

Above all, Bob carried a strong, quiet faith in Jesus Christ, evident not in show, but in the steadiness and integrity with which he lived.

Bob is survived by his cherished wife, Bonnie; his son, Aaron (Nancy) of Eudora, Kansas; his daughter, Angela (Bill) of Shawnee, Kansas; his brothers, Mike of Hardin, Kentucky, and Jim (Cheryl) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; his granddaughter, Hannah; and his grandson, Jack. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Sr and Alberta of Quincy, Illinois.