Thomas Kevin Robert

Thomas Kevin Robert, of Kansas City, MO, beloved husband, brother, and uncle, and a dear friend to many, passed away at St. Luke's Hospital from a heart attack. Born in Haverhill, MA to Jean (née Phillips) and Normand Robert, he graduated from Haverhill High School and Northern Essex Community College, and also studied abroad at the Polytechnic of West London in Ealing. Tom was actively involved in theater both in New England and during his time in the UK. After returning from the UK, he made his home in Salem, MA and made many friends there, but as a loving spouse, he willingly moved first to Cincinnati and then to Kansas City when his husband's job situation required it. He was a veteran IRS employee, working there since 1986, first in Andover, MA, then in Boston, Cincinnati, and since 2013, in Kansas City.

Tom is survived by his husband, Vitaly Chernetsky, of Kansas City, MO, his sister, Denise Gibbons, and brother-in-law Benjamin Gibbons, of Rochester, NH, his nieces Chett Krekorian, of Biddeford, ME, Nichole Krekorian and her husband Derek Falanga, and Caitlyn Verbicky (Krekorian) and her husband Spencer Verbicky, all of Rochester, NH, as well as other members of his extended family and devoted friends, in New England, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and worldwide.

Warm and gregarious, Tom was admired by many for his sense of humor and his talent for friendly and engaging conversation. He loved to jokingly tease his little sister and his husband. He was like another uncle or big brother to the children of many of his friends. Tom was an avid reader and film buff, and a passionate collector and supporter of independent LGBTQ cinema, writing, and art, and a plant dad with an enviable collection of succulents and cacti. He will be deeply missed.

Visitation is scheduled for Friday, May 23, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Park Lawn Funeral Home at 8251 Hillcrest Road, Kansas City, MO 64138, followed by a celebration of his life hosted by Alexey Ladokhin and Maria Hastello. Burial will be at the Elmwood Cemetery and Mausoleum in Bradford, MA at a date to be determined.