Robert "Bob" Kleinmeyer

Robert Leeroy “Bob” Kleinmeyer, 62, of Kansas City, Missouri, went home on December 10, 2025. He was born on August 10, 1963, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Robert Theodore and Ardeth Stanley Kleinmeyer.

Bob lived a life that was anything but ordinary.

As a young man, he was bound for college baseball before an injury changed his course. When his grandparents fell ill, Bob made a decision that defined the rest of his life. He left high school to help keep their farm running. He later earned his GED, but his character had already been forged. Responsibility came before recognition. Family came before plans. He would often laugh when telling the story of being high school aged yet driving the school bus and taking the other kids to school, a perfect snapshot of a life marked by grit, humor, and doing what needed to be done.

In the 1980s, Bob proudly served in the United States Coast Guard during the Mariel Boatlift. During that humanitarian crisis, he was credited with rescuing many lives as thousands fled Cuba by sea. It was dangerous, chaotic work, carried out under extreme conditions. Bob rarely spoke about it unless asked, not because it lacked significance, but because he never sought recognition for doing what was necessary.

Cars and engines were not just his career, they were his craft. Bob was a pit chief for a professional Top Fuel Funny Car drag racing team, traveling across the country and competing at the highest level of the sport. He later opened and operated multiple automotive shops in the Kansas City area, and became a respected automotive service manager known for his knowledge, leadership, and integrity. If something was broken, Bob could fix it. If someone needed help, Bob was always willing.

On August 12, 1989, Bob married the love of his life, Elaina Kaye Todd, in Kansas City. Together they built a beautiful family. He loved his children deeply, and his grandchildren knew him as steady, present, and proud.

Bob loved fishing, going on camping trips, backyard barbecuing, and doing anything that involved the outdoors. He was fiercely patriotic, deeply loyal, and quietly generous. He believed in showing up early, working hard, telling the truth, and making the best go at any situation in front of him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his grandparents, and his stepfather, John Floden.

He is survived by his wife, Elaina Kleinmeyer of Kansas City; his children Aaron Robert Kleinmeyer and wife Kelsie of Kansas City, Angela Kaye Todd and husband Tyler of Edmond, Oklahoma, and Austin Lee Kleinmeyer of Kansas City; his grandchildren Eli Robert, Addie Jo, Hallie Kaye, and one on the way; his sister Beth Bridges of Oskaloosa; and his brother Joe Kleinmeyer of Casey, Iowa.

Funeral Services Wednesday December 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the Holm Funeral Home. Visitation starting at 12:30 until service time.
Burial in South English Cemetery.