Robert "Bob" Virgil Lewellen

Robert "Bob" Virgil Lewellen, of Kansas City, Missouri, died on Saturday, May 14th at Shawnee Mission Medical Center. Bob was born on August 31st, 1937 and raised in Northeast Kansas City. He attended Glennon High School and subsequently attended Rockhurst College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958, with a major in Economics and a minor in History. He married Ruth Ann Bewalda, originally from Midland, Michigan, on October 19th, 1963 and their marriage lasted 43 years until her passing in 2007. Bob and Ruth have 3 sons; Joseph, Christopher, and Andrew Lewellen. After marriage, they lived in the Brookside neighborhood and then moved to south Kansas City, Missouri, where they resided for the rest of their lives. Bob was an ingenious businessman, a visionary, an entrepreneur, and an investor in the Kansas City community. His early business experience found him working at WDAF-TV station and becoming a Production Manager and Stage Director. Bob also worked with NBC and CBS Sports as a freelance producer, working in sports-related events in stadiums and arenas around the country. For years, he was the on-field manager for television networks at home Chiefs games, a position that his son Joe now continues. He promoted a wide range of sporting events; including NBA exhibition events, professional wrestling, boxing matches, auto races, roller derbies and rodeos. These and many of Bob's other efforts benefitted the Kansas City community immensely. Bob enjoyed working with his wife, Ruth, and together, with the help of Bob's good friend Jimmy Block, they established Franchise Resource Systems, which eventually grew to more than 50 food chain locations including the area's original Pizza Huts and Taco Bells. They also started and owned one of Kansas City's first sports clothing stores. There were six Fan Fair stores, one of which was the last retail store operating on the famed "Petticoat Lane" in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. A licensed apparel silk screening company, First Team Graphics, was included in this business. Bob and Ruth formed an advertising and marketing agency called Lewellen and Lewellen, which created integrated campaigns for a wide variety of local, regional, and national clients. Bob was also a savvy investor in commercial real estate. He was a long-time active member of the Kansas City Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees). He also founded and chaired the Miss Kansas City Pageant and, in the early 1960's, the Midwest Semi-Pro Football League. He was instrumental in the establishment of the unique NAIA Honorary Coaches program and participated in it throughout his life. He received many honors - too many to list - but just a few include Kansas City Young Man of the Year (1972), the NAIA Hall of Fame Award, the Kramer Award-Annual Award of Merit from the NAIA, several local and national awards from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, the Junior Chamber International Senator Award, as well as numerous Jaycee Awards. Bob was also a passionate advocate for and a devoted servant of the city of Kansas City, Missouri. He began his civil service career in 1983 by his appointment to the Planning Commission of Kansas City, Missouri. He was elected to serve 2 terms on the City Council of Kansas City, Missouri, from 1983-1991. He chaired the Council's Finance and Aviation Committees and oversaw an extensive expansion of the Kansas City International Airport. He narrowly lost a bid for Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, in 1991. He was appointed by the Mayor as a Commissioner of the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Board, where he served from 1999-2007, including as Chairman. During the course of his service he was instrumental in the development of the renovation of the Liberty Memorial and the National World War I Museum. He was a current member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Zoo and was instrumental in the development of the Kansas City Zoo and in the acquisition of attractions. Most dear to his heart was the wooden endangered species carousel , an idea put into motion by and named in memory of his wife, Ruth. Bob was a benevolent and humble philanthropist, frequently preferring to donate to his chosen causes anonymously. He was also unfailingly generous with his time and effort. He helped establish the Santa Fe Historical Society and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, developing its national telethons and radio-thons. Bob served as a member of many boards, including the Avila University Board of Councilors, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Athletic Foundation, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics - Advisory Board and, the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission Foundation, and the Citizen's Association. In addition to the city of Kansas City, Missouri, another of Bob's lifelong passions was his love for meeting new people and making new friends. Once you met Bob, you became his new friend and he always did whatever he could to help his friends in need. Bob embodied and embraced the true meaning of friendship. And as a result, he had an extraordinary number of friends from all walks of life, from all corners of Kansas City, and throughout the United States and other countries. Bob was considered an icon of the community by his friends and business contacts throughout our city. Bob was a loving and devoted son, brother, uncle, husband, father, and grandfather. He is preceded in death by his parents, Loretta Rose (Kelling) Lewellen and Joseph Virgil Lewellen and his wife Ruth Ann (Bewalda) Lewellen. He is survived by his sisters Kathryn Ann (Lewellen) Phillips and her husband Edward Phillips of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Carol Lewellen, of Kansas City, Missouri, sons Joseph, Christopher, and Andrew Lewellen, of Kansas City, Missouri, and their respective wives Heather, Lori, and Victoria. He was a beloved "Bob Bob" to 8 grandchildren, including Dylan, Luke, Robert, Roderick "Rory", Logan, Carly, Taylor, and Ryan. Honorary pall bearers are Dylan Lewellen, Luke Lewellen, Kevin Gray, Steve Lampone, Mike Dabill, Ricardo Herrera, Sam "Dudie" LaVota, James "Jim" Malouff, III, Robert "Bob" Switzer, Sr., Dennis J. "DJ" O'Hare, David Block, and Richard L. Berkley. His family and friends will miss him beyond measure. Throughout his life Bob was a man committed to his faith and was an active member of the St. Thomas More Catholic community. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held in his name at St. Thomas More Catholic Church (11822 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri) on Wednesday, May 18th, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Kansas City Zoo, In Memory of Bob Lewellen, 6800 Zoo Dr., Kansas City, MO 64132.