Robert Roy McClintick

1924 - 2016

Robert (Bob) Roy McClintick

1924-2016

Bob was born on November 19, 1924 at home on the "Big Place," a 480-acre farm near Walnut, Kansas. His parents, now deceased, were Louella (Burnett) and William Altie McClintick, formerly of Brookfield, Missouri. After a long, enjoyable and successful life, Bob passed away at age 91 on August 28, 2016.

He grew up in a closely knit family of six children during the Great Depression of the 1930s. His brother Colonel (Retired) Ellis McClintick of Papillion, Nebraska, and sisters Betty Portwood of Dallas, Texas and Byrdie Hogendorn of Amarillo, Texas survive him. Brothers William, AW, and Charles (at birth) predeceased him, as did a half-sister, Ethelene.

Following high school, Bob served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as a crew member on the B29 "Superfortress," flying 15 night bombing missions from Guam to Japan. His crew was on the last 17 hour mission of the war and flew "top cover" for the signing of the Surrender Agreement on the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay in 1945.

Honorably discharged on January 14, 1946, he enrolled in college at the University of Kansas, graduating with a degree in Industrial Management in June 1949. Around this time, Bob met Hazel Jean Wathen, also a graduate of K.U., and they were married on August 12, 1950. They were together almost 50 years, during which time they raised two wonderful daughters, Suzanne and Stephanie.

Suzanne, M.D., has three children; Dr. Erin Schreiber (Matthew, husband) of Chicago, Sean Dinsmore of Salt Lake City, Utah and Caitlin Dinsmore of Portland, Oregon. Stephanie is married to Gregory Owens, both of whom earned masters degrees from Syracuse University, and they have two children; Samuel Owens of Portland, Oregon and Anna Owens in her sophomore year at Denison University. Bob was the proud great-grandfather of Aiden and Emmett Schreiber.

Bob was highly successful in the corporate world having worked 40 years for the Farmers Insurance Group of companies, holding 12 different senior positions in six cities. He was very active in continuing education, attending night school at the University of Missouri Law School in Kansas City and earning the Chartered Property and Casualty and Chartered Life Underwriter professional insurance designations. Just prior to retirement in 1989, he served as Senior VP-Operations and President of the Fire Insurance Company. Previously, he was president of several domestic insurance companies for the Farmers Insurance Group. As a senior executive, he played a major role in the growth of the companies and in the development of new products, such as the non-smoker auto and homeowners policies. However, his most satisfying experiences involved the development of personnel. He enjoyed seeing others succeed. In all his business relationships, his integrity earned him the respect of his associates.

He served on the U.S. Chamber of Congress and was on the Board of Directors of the Insurance Education Association and the National Council of Property Insurance. This latter organization developed the Catastrophic Reinsurance Program, forerunner to the California Earthquake Authority insurance facility. While at the U.S. Chamber of Congress meeting in Washington, D.C., Bob met with then President Ronald Reagan to discuss general economic policy, particularly as it related to product liability and medical malpractice liability insurance.

After retiring in 1989, Bob and Hazel moved to Indian Wells, California. Sadly, Hazel passed away in June 2000 after a lengthy illness.

On a cruise around Great Britain in 2001 starting in Scotland (ancestral home to the McClintick clan), Bob met his second love, Laurene Vigi from Michigan, sailing on the same ship. Following a cross-country romance between Michigan and California, they were married on July 26, 2003 at the Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church where Bob was a member. Laurene has one daughter, Allison Winslow, and a son-in-law Chris, and two beautiful grandsons, Nicholas and Michael, all residing in Michigan. They affectionately called Bob, "Grand-Bobby."

During their loving marriage, Laurene and Bob enjoyed many pleasant trips travelling around the world including Great Britain, Europe, the Baltic Sea countries, China, Australia, New Zealand, and Alaska. Their other hobby was golf, which they played at the Indian Wells Country Club where Bob served as Chairman of the Board of Governors.

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held in Indian Wells, California.

To view and sign this guestbook, please visit desertsun.com/obituaries.