Bobby Argumedo

Bobby Argumedo
August 28, 1934 - September 10, 2021
Wichita, Kansas - Argumedo, Bobby J. Lt. Col. U.S.A.F. (ret), age 87, retired intelligence and Threat Analysis Manager for Boeing Military Airplane Company, died Friday, September 10, 2021. Born August 28, 1934.
Preceded in death by his wonderful wife: Jean Argumedo Cavendar, parents Jose Argumedo and Sarah Irene Argumedo Mena Pulliam, half brothers and sisters: Walter Mena, Paul Mena, Juanita Perez Mena and Fernando Mena.
Survivors include children: Dana McMurchy (Pat) of Tulsa, OK, Marta Argumedo-Priore (Steve) of San Antonio, TX, and Michael Argumedo of Kiev, Ukraine, one grandchild, Conor McMurchy of Tulsa. OK, stepchildren: Sherrie Kenny-Adolf (Mark) of Phoenix, AZ, Randy Wittsell all of Wichita, Russell Wittsell of Folsom, CA, John Wittsell (Kim) of Wichita, KS, Clyde Witsell (Belinda) of Wichita and Richard Wittsell (Lydia) of Wichita, KS.
Bob was born a poor brown child outside the village of Sain Alto, Zacatecas, Mexico, where he lived for 5 years. He came to the US with his American mother and brothers Victor and Fernando and sisters Mary and Clara and resided in Pratt, Kansas. He moved with his brother Walter, his sisters Clara and Mary, and his mother to Wichita, KS, and attended Elementary School: Irving, Planeview, and Riverside. John Marshall was his intermediate School. He graduated from his beloved North High School in 1952 where he played varsity basketball and baseball and was 16th in his class of over 500. He was a walk-on for the freshman basketball team and earned a basketball scholarship and played varsity two of the three years he was eligible. He was extremely proud of being on the 1953-54 team that was the first Shocker team to go to the NIT. He was a member of Alpha Gamma Gamma Fraternity, Engineering Council, and Student Forum Board. He remained a redskin and a Shocker fan all his life. Bob graduated WSU in 1957 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, married the former Marilyn Koop, and accepted a job with Chance Vought Aircraft in Dallas, Texas and a few months later entered in US Air Force as a 2Lt in February of 1958. He was trained as a Navigator at James Connally AFB in Waco, TX where he was first in his class, winning a Distinguished Graduate and a commission in the Regular Air Force. He attended the Advanced Navigation and Radar Bombardment School at Mather AFB, CA, where was again first in his class. With a short 6 weeks B-47 ground school in Wichita, he received his B-47 flying training at Little Rock AFB, Ark then permanent duty at Plattsburg AFB, NY. The Cold War provided lots of alert and flying duties, including Reflex deployments to England. His wonderful children Dana, Marta, and Michael were all born at Plattsburg. An AF shortage of engineers enabled Bob to be assigned with the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson, Ohio, which was a technical analysis center of foreign weapon systems and technology. He was an aircraft weapons analysist specializing in fighter aircraft and command and control. He flew attached to a Flight Test Wing. A highlight was flying in the Zero Gravity aircraft known affectionately as the Vomit Comet. He attended a one-year course in Missile Range Technology in Satellite Beach, FL, to prepare to manage a missile range base, but the Vietnam war interrupted and he was school as a back seater in the RF-4C aircraft for reconnaissance duties out of Tan Son Nhut AFB, Saigon, RVN, in 1969-1970. After Vietnam he returned to the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, as chief of the Military Space Systems Branch which he enjoyed very much. He was once again called to combat duties, this time in B-52s, with subsequent deployments to the Vietnam theater. While with SAC once more, he obtained a Master's Degree in Management and Supervision. He returned to FTD and was subsequently selected to be the Foreign Technology Liaison Officer to Strategic Air Command (SAC) Headquarters at Offufff, AFB, NE, where he closed out his 20 year career in September 1978 and accepted a job at Boeing in Wichita, which utilized his engineering and analysis experience. Bob met his future wife, Jean, om the first day of employment at Boeing and recognized her from high school where they were student driving instructors in the same class. They married in 1982. Jean's love, loyalty, and trustworthiness claimed Bob for the Lord. They very much enjoyed leading small church groups and teaching classes. He retired from Boeing in 1990, did some real estate work and some teaching and tutoring. Bob's spiritual gift was teaching and he especially enjoyed teaching children to read and learn math. Bob enjoyed rekindling the many old friendship and playing golf with his old friends.
Funeral service will be held Friday, September 17, 2021 at 1pm, with visitation starting at 11:00 am, both at Resthaven Mortuary, 11800 W. Highway 54, Wichita, KS 67209. Burial to follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory.