Robert Eugene Frohoff

Robert (Bob) Eugene Frohoff passed away July 16, 2024, at home, with his wife and kitties at his side. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, July 22, with visitation with family and friends following, at Old Mission United Methodist Church, 5519 State Park Road, Fairway, Kansas, 66205. The service will be live-streamed at: https://vimeo.com/event/4459285/0ba0896e94

Bob was born Sept. 23, 1959, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Loretta Cigich Frohoff and Gene Frohoff. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Kansas City, Kansas. He attended St. Patrick School, Washington High School and the University of Kansas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism and pursued an avid interest in film studies.

Bob enjoyed a successful career in advertising, specializing in media strategy, planning and buying. He loved helping clients succeed, especially those who represented causes important to him. He was a long-time champion of the Missouri and regional tourism industries. In the late '90s and early 2000s Bob was vice president of two Kansas City advertising agencies that secured the Missouri Division of Tourism (MDT) state advertising account. He was a valued member of the marketing team and adjunct adviser to the Missouri Division of Tourism, where the staff affectionately called him "The Shark" for all the great advertising buys he brought in. He was also a friend and mentor to many MDT staff.

Additionally, in the later 2000s, Bob was a member of the Hwy 36 Heritage Alliance for four years where he served as operations manager, consulting on marketing.

Bob was a 25+ year member of the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA). He served on the 15-state Central States (CenStates) Chapter Board of Directors from 2011 to 2022. In 2022 he was named chairman of the CenStates board. From 2015-16, he also served on the International TTRA Board of Directors. Additionally, Bob was often a valued speaker at local, state and regional tourism conferences where he shared his amazing expertise in advertising and media buying.

Bob loved life and loved to brighten the lives of others with a kind word or joke to make them smile. He was gifted with a keen intellect and memory, and held a wide variety of interests, including film studies, music, astronomy, the science and appeal of fragrances, travel and reading. He was also creative and enjoyed photography, film making and writing. He held bragging rights to attending the best of the best concerts for more than 50 years.

He was proud to carry on the lengthy family tailgate tradition and spent many sunny (and rainy and snowy) days at Arrowhead Stadium enjoying a fine repast in the parking lot with family and friends prior to cheering on the Chiefs through the lean and successful years.

Bob loved to tell people how he met his wife, Katherine, in kindergarten. They later became friends and were then a couple for many years before marrying on July 15, 1995. They enjoyed traveling together, especially to Hawaii, England and anywhere there was a Rolling Stones concert. But most of all, they enjoyed spending time at home together cooking, listening to music, playing with the cats and savoring home life.

Bob was a man of strong personal faith, which he demonstrated daily through the way he treated others. He made positivity and gratitude an integral part of his life.

He was preceded in death by his father, Gene Frohoff; mother, Loretta Frohoff; sister, Janet Frohoff; niece, Erin Wilson McMahon; and stepbrother, Jamie McKim. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Katherine Wilson Frohoff, and feline companions Byron and Hardy; in-laws Ron and Nancy Wilson, and Robert and Ellen Wilson; niece and nephew Robert F. Wilson and Alix Wilson; stepmother Barbara Frohoff; stepbrother Raub McKim; and stepsisters Melissa McKim, Laurie McKim, and Merrily Tuohey and their families; and many beloved cousins.

The family thanks all those involved in caring for Bob during his illness, including Kerry Ensminger, the KU Cancer Center Palliative Care team, and the Kansas Palliative and Hospice Care staff. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Kitty City Kansas or the University of Kansas Department of Film and Media Studies.

https://vimeo.com/event/4459285/0ba08h96e94