Robert C. Hamilton

Robert C. Hamilton Bob Hamilton, 95, of Lenexa, Kansas died on September 15, 2018 at his home in Lakeview Village. Bob was born and raised on a farm in Elmo, Missouri. As a boy, he plowed fields behind a horse, helped produce the vegetables, and took care of the animals. He lived in a house with no electricity, plumbing or heating (other than a pot-bellied stove) but in spite of the hardships, his family found ways to make life fun. They sang, played instruments, enjoyed stories, pranks and Sunday get-togethers with extended family. Bob graduated from Elmo high school (where he played basketball and loved math) in 1940, and Chillicothe Business College in 1942. During WW2 he was a Navy pilot, flying Hellcats and Bearcats from aircraft carriers. After the war, he married Elneta Richmond (who enjoyed dancing as much as he did) and they were stationed in Hawaii for a year. Bob earned his degree in Business from Kansas University in 1950. He loved to sing and run track. In college, Bob sang in the Dean's A Cappella choir, and his quartet won the campus quartet contest in 1947. He sang with the Barbershop Harmony Society for over 40 years, in choruses and various quartets. Bob worked in Accounting Management for the Bendix Corporation in Kansas City, MO for 30 years, where he was active in the Bendix Management Club (he and his wife won the group's dance contest). He raised his family in Overland Park, Kansas, and had hobbies such as wood-working, running and singing. To his 4 children he was a great role model. He was hard-working and responsible, but also playful and humorous, and he enjoyed being with his children and making things for them. Bob had a calm, philosophical approach to raising kids. He was always a helpful guide and treated them with respect. They have tried to raise their own children with the same respect, kindness and sense of humor that he gave them. In this way, his spirit will always live on. In 1967, Bob and Elneta helped form the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church, and Bob remained active in it for the rest of his life. He served as president of the Board three times, served often as Treasurer, and sang in the choir. His financial expertise was invaluable to this growing church, which now is located in Lenexa. Bob remarried in 1983 to Sue Schutzel, his wife of 35 years. They both loved the arts, being involved in the UU church, gardening and living a healthy, active lifestyle. Bob and Sue moved to the Lakeview Village retirement community in 1998 where Bob was active in many voluntary functions, including managing garden plots, building useful furniture and, when he was 90 years old, doing a skydiving jump for the Lakeview Good Samaritan Fund. He was well loved and will be missed by all. Bob is survived by his two sisters, Lucille Vansickle and Ruth Anna Snodderly, his first wife Elneta Justice, four children: Karen (William Sampler), Jackie, Janet (Mike Geier), Scott (Robin Chapman), and six grandchildren: Cloud Carroll (Kwame Baffour Ghana), Brian Carroll (Sanida Prapaitrakul Thailand), Kevin Teman, Caitlin Geier (Jeff Boehm Michigan), James Geier (Aude Puyfoulhoux France) and Ian Hamilton (Mariam Nouri Iran), and three great-grandchildren: Kente Baffour, Sankofa Baffour, and Dylan Carroll. Bob is also survived by his current wife Suzanne Schutzel and her two children: Douglas Hays (Denice Akin) and Carolyn Hays (Eric Smith), and six grandchildren: Christine Hays, Erik Hays, DeAnna Hays, Alec Enslinger (Amber), Laney Smith, Lia Smith and great-grandson Cade Enslinger. Memorial service will be at 3:00 pm September 30th at the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church (SMUUCH) located at 9400 Pflumm Rd. Lenexa, KS 66215. In lieu of flowers, please donate to SMUUCH, with Endowment Trust in the check memo line.