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Robert Ganschinietz Obituary
August 17, 1931 - October 12, 2023
Mascoutah, Illinois - Robert Joseph Ganschinietz, 92, of Mascoutah, Ill., passed away peacefully on Oct. 12, 2023.
He was born on Aug. 17, 1931, in East St. Louis, Ill., to Joseph W. and Virginia M. (nee Simpson) Ganschinietz. He married the former Kathryn A. McGraw on Sept. 13, 1952. They raised their two children in Belleville, Ill., moving to Mascoutah in 2005.
Bob was a 1949 graduate of East St. Louis High School. He attended Washington University and the University of Illinois, where he joined the Alpha Rho Chi architecture fraternity and the ROTC. He served in the Army at the National Security Agency (NSA) during the Korean War.
Bob was a good-natured, tender-hearted, humble man of integrity, respected both personally and professionally. He was an architect with WHGK (Weisenstein, Hausmann, Ganschinietz & Klingel) in Belleville, and later, Woolpert Inc. Many WHGK-designed local municipal buildings, schools, churches and banks built throughout his career are an enduring legacy of his accomplishments. He particularly enjoyed mentoring younger colleagues. In retirement, Bob became the part-time director of health/life safety for the St. Clair County Regional Office of Education and volunteered at the Humane Society.
He was a member of St. John United Church of Christ in Mascoutah, Scottish Rite, Ainad Shriners and the American Institute of Architects. He was a past board member of St. Paul's Home in Belleville and a past president of Immanuel United Church of Christ in East St. Louis.
Bob enjoyed watching the Fighting Illini, Ohio State Buckeyes, St. Louis Cardinals and Hallmark Channel movies-especially with a dish of ice cream and a pet dachshund by his side.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Donald E. Ganschinietz.
He is survived by his beloved family: wife Kathryn, to whom he was happily married for 71 years; daughter Lisa (Les) Sanders of Fairview Heights, Ill.; son Glen (Deepa) Ganschinietz of Gahanna, Ohio; granddaughter Jody Kathryn Ganschinietz of Grandview Heights, Ohio; brother-in-law, Tom (Anna) McGraw of Springfield, MO; extended family members and five "granddogs."
Bob's family is deeply grateful to the staff of Memorial Hospital East in Shiloh and Rural Family Medicine in Mascoutah for their compassionate care.
Memorials may be made to the Belleville Area Humane Society or St. John United Church of Christ in Mascoutah.
A private service for the immediate family will be held at Kurrus Funeral Home with burial in Mount Hope Cemetery.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Robert Ganschinietz
Sponsored by Belleville News-Democrat.
Mark Maxwell
October 27, 2023
I am so sorry for the loss. I wish the family the best and know that I was thinking of you all before and after his passing. The family was very nice to me and there is a special place in my heart for them and Lisa. I wish I had known sooner of his passing. May peace be with you all. My condolences to you.
Craig Veile
October 24, 2023
Rest in Peace Bob. You have left an enduring legacy in the Belleville and surrounding area for your gracious service and patient grooming of many architects from Southern Illinois. I am one of those, and you were my first architectural boss too, and fortunately for me, I had the privilege of becoming a partner with you and Gene and Glenn 13 years later. The special professional relationships you had with the surrounding school districts shaped the development of the latter 2/3's of my career practicing architecture in the Education field. Our deepest sympathies to Kathryn, Lisa & Glenn. God's continued blessings to you Kathryn and your extended family.
Craig & Rose Veile
Karen Flattich
October 21, 2023
Glen and family, so very sorry for your loss.
Chip Gray
October 18, 2023
My condolences to the Ganschinietz family. Bob was the Architect on many of the jobs I managed during 30 years as Project Manager. He was pleasant and always the most professional person I knew.
I learned a lot from Bob during our association.
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Bill Reichert
October 17, 2023
Bob was my first boss in an archtectural firm back when it was WHR. After 50 years in practice myself, I can count Bob among a very small handful of the thousands of architects I have known, as one of the most influential on me. Personally and professionally Bob was simply a great man and great architect of tremendous talent and demeanor. I know all of us younger arch´s feel the same. He shaped several generations of us. My sincerest sympathies to his family and everyone he touched.
Julie Spengler
October 17, 2023
My sympathies. I worked for Bob at WHGK for 2 summers while in architecture school. I have such good memories of him and learned some good career lessons from him.
Terry Braxmeier
October 17, 2023
I learned more in my first 6 months of working with Bob than I did in the 4 years of college that preceded it. Bob was great mentor and a man of incredible patience and integrity who always treated everyone with respect. He also had a wonderful sense of humor - always willing to tolerate, and occasionally even participate in, the shenanigans of the junior staff. Those of us lucky enough to spend time with this great man are all better human beings for it. Deepest sympathies to Kathryn & family.
Brad Harriman
October 17, 2023
I worked with Bob at the Regional Office of Education. He was truly a man of integrity and compassion. As a professional he was admired by all for his honesty as well as his knowledge.
Carol Birk woodrum
October 17, 2023
Grief can be so hard, but our special memories help us cope. Remembering you and your loved one today and always.
Vicki Keck
October 17, 2023
I worked for Bob at WHGK for 5 years. I still consider him the best boss I've ever had. He was kind, funny, smart and so caring. He spoke of his family with such love in his voice. I admired him greatly.
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Kurrus Funeral Home - Belleville1773 Frank Scott Parkway West, Belleville, IL 62223
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