Richard Michael "Mike" Rubison

1948 - 2025

Richard Michael "Mike" Rubison, 76, of Overland Park, Kansas, formerly of Lake Forest, Illinois, passed away on Friday, February 14, 2025, after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

Mike was born on September 16, 1948, to Dick and Mary Kay Rubison in Quincy, Illinois. After Mike graduated from Christian Brothers High School (class of 1966), he went on to study pure math and statistics at Quincy College, Southern Illinois University, and obtained his PhD in Statistics from Indiana University.

After graduation, he taught Statistics and mentored graduate students at Kansas State University. Later he joined the corporate world and took a job at Marion Laboratories in Kansas City, Missouri. His path continued in research and development to ClinTrials in Lexington, Kentucky and Abbott Laboratories in Chicago, Illinois. He retired from Abbott in 2008 and started his own consulting company, Flint Hills Consulting, in which he remained active until fully retiring in 2021.

Throughout his life, Mike was an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. He was an Eagle Scout, as was his father, his son and two of his grandsons. He spent many summers assisting with camps, leadership trainings, and Scout functions. He sat on a variety of Scout Boards and was involved in supporting many Troops and activities. He was awarded the Silver Beaver, an award given to those who implement the Scouting program and perform community service through hard work, self-sacrifice, dedication, and many years of service.

Mike spent many years singing in church choirs including most recently at the Church of St. Mary's and St. Patrick's Catholic Church both in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was also an active member in the Knights of Columbus.

Mike was a big supporter of the Arts, a vast variety of community support charities and followed the many sporting activities of his grandchildren.

Mike had three children while married to Toni Shade Rubison. Kelley Whisler and her husband Dan of Hutchinson, Kansas with their children Grace (& Mason) Lipford, Layne Whisler, Matthew Whisler, Michael (& Ashley) Whisler and great granddaughters Bella and Skylar. Jill Bamber and her husband Norm of Stilwell, Kansas with their children Samantha (& Will) Bamber-Hillyer, Christopher Bamber, Kaitlyn Bamber and Sean Bamber. Paul Rubison of Santa Barbara, California and his family Whitney Rubison and their son Will Rubison. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Lynne Bordewick of Glen Ellyn, IL and her husband David, their daughters Chris Anne (& Jason) Heidkamp and Mary Kate (& Leif) Halvorson, and their 4 grandsons (Jack, Patrick, and Henry Heidkamp and Soren Halvorson).

Mike was predeceased by his mother and father, Dick and Mary Kay Rubison, as well as his grandparents, Paul and Helen Lenane and Howard and Marie Rubison.

Our family would like to thank Stratford Commons Memory Care Center in Overland Park, Kansas for their care, compassion, and commitment for Mike. Thank you also to AgeWise and Residential Hospice for providing continual support and companionship.

Services will be held Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 10:00 am at St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church, 1721 College Avenue, Quincy, IL, with interment immediately following mass at Quincy Calvary Cemetery, 1730 N 18th St, Quincy, IL. There will be a visitation with the family before mass beginning at 9:30 am at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Boy Scouts of America (Scouting America), an organization near and dear to Mike's heart. Donations can be made online through https://donations.scouting.org.