Robert Bob Eugene Pope

Robert Eugene Pope was born in Wellington, Kansas, September 10, 1931, the only child of Opal I. and Samuel E. Pope. Bob always considered them to be the finest parents in the world, providing him with all the love, support, and encouragement he could imagine. He graduated from Wichita High School East, and received the degree Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with Senior Honors from the University of Kansas in 1952, and later the degree Master of Science from KU. He was elected to the honor societies Tau Beta Pi in engineering, Phi Lambda Upsilon in chemistry, and Omicron Delta Kappa, the senior leadership honor society. He was more successful in student government in college than he had been in high school. Encouraged by his fraternity brothers, he reached the position of president pro tem of the All Student Council Senate. Always a proponent of public education, he often expressed his appreciation for the citizens of Kansas who provided him with essentially a free education from first grade thorough graduate school.

He signed his name "Robert E. Pope," but preferred that everyone call him "Bob."

He worked in the Control Lab of Monsanto during the summer of 1952, then returned to graduate school at the University of Kansas where he was assistant instructor, 1952-56. First licensed as a professional engineer in 1953, he maintained that registration for 55 years. He was employed as a project engineer with Mallinckrodt, Inc., 1953-59.

As an undergraduate, Bob had been initiated into Theta Tau, the oldest and largest engineering fraternity. He was employed by the fraternity as Traveling Secretary in 1959, as Executive Secretary, 1963-1984. and as Executive Director from 1984 until his retirement in 1996 when he was granted the title Executive Director Emeritus. He served on the board of directors of its magazine "The Grear of Theta Tau" beginning in 1993, and as Editor-in-Chief, 1996-2001. He had been inducted into the Theta Tau Alumni Hall of Fame in 1988.

He also served the Professional Fraternity Association as Executive Secretary, 1977-1986. and received the Distinguished Service Award in 1995. He was a charter member of the Professional Fraternity Executives Association, and a life member of the American Society of Associations Executives.

Since coming to St. Louis, Bob's political activity had been limited to supporting those candidates and causes he favored, and working as an election judge at every election for more than a decade after retirement, usually as a supervisor.

Bob was extremely grateful for all those whose friendship enriched his life. For decades, Bob enjoyed his close and dear friendship with Margaret Estes. Dennis Mann and Bob shared a home 1970-1977. He would later recall these as the best years of his life. From work-out partners to best friends, they became brothers by choice. With Dennis' marriage to Judy, Bob also acquired a sister by choice. Bob considered that he had the best possible life: growing up as an only child, and then acquiring a brother and sister as an adult.

In 1972, Dennis and Bob developed the old-time professional strong man act called "The Iron Men" which performed for the next twelve years (as their spare time would permit) at venues across the nation, including Six Flags St. Louis. On TV, the act appeared three times on a Regis Philbin show, twice on the Mike Douglas Show, and established a world record appearing on the TV show The Guinness Game. During its final years of performing, Bob and his long-time friend, Carl Rogers, often performed the two-man act together.

He considered his long employment by Theta Tau to be the best job in the world for him. Nevertheless, he was grateful to have experienced employment in academia, industry, and entertainment as well as the non-profit sector.

A member of Grace United Methodist Church, St. Louis, for more than fifty years, Bob served in various positions including chairman of the Administrative Council, 1991-95, and trustee, 1997-2002. He was a lay member of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church, 2000-2006. He considered his greatest contribution to the church to be his insistence that the Peters Memorial Chimes in the tower be restored. He was grateful to those whose work and contributions were essential to this project; and he was pleased to have had the opportunity to play this instrument (the most costly gift ever made to Grace Church) regularly for more than twenty years. He felt especially honored to be recognized as a Fellow of the Society of John Wesley in 2009.

He much enjoyed family and class reunions and tried never to miss one. He was a fan of World's Fairs and had visited each one held in North America and two in Europe since 1964. Another interest was Presidential Libraries most of which he had visited. He collected commemorative medallions and coffee mugs. He enjoyed giving and receiving sincere compliments, eating out with friends, reading news magazines and books authored by his friends, listening to recorded books, broadcast television, travel, and participation sports.

Because of his professional position, he was profiled in biographical references including "Who's Who in Engineering," "Who's Who in America," and "Who's Who in the World." Although he was very gratified by each recognition he received, he was reluctant to share these with even his closest friends, lest he be seen as boasting.

He considered his greatest assets to be his ability to smile and to be kind to others, and his ability to prepare an above-average oral or written presentation. And his greatest detriments to be his unpleasant voice, and his slow reading speed.

When he encountered another person (one whom God Loves) in need, Bob found it virtually impossible to deny him help despite knowing he would be seen by many as an enabler.

Since the turn of the millennium, the quality of his life had been reduced due to a number of health problems. Nevertheless, he resolutely refused to ask of his Creator "Why me?" He continued to be always grateful for the decades of superb health which he had experienced, and enjoyed each season of his life; although he would admit the earlier ones were often more fun.

Bob will be laid to rest beside his beloved parents in Wichita Park Cemetery in Wichita, Kansas.