Robert Emil Wonder

He was born July 11, 1958 in Kansas City, Missouri to parents Robert D. Wonder and Shirley Kunze Wonder. Precocious and intelligent, Bob excelled in school, graduating Center High School in 1976, and receiving his B.S. degree from Rockhurst University in 1978 after only two years of college. Bob then attended UMKC Law School, graduating in 1981 and beginning a long and rewarding career using his knowledge to protect and defend the underrepresented and underprivileged. He practiced law in Kansas City, MO and Johnson County, KS, until 2009.

In addition to loving golf, long rides in his Mazda Miata, Steve Martin comedies, and the people he encountered day in and day out, Bob adored his family. He married the love of his life, Michele, after an eight year courtship, and spent the next thirty-three years by her side. Together they adopted two gorgeous children, John and Katy, and saw the birth of two grandbabies, Brooks Robert Wonder and Brecken Reine Wonder. Together Bob and Michele raised their children to be strong, hardworking individuals. John and his wife Ashli live in Gladstone, Missouri, and Katy in Overland Park. Both of his children were the apple of his eye, but in addition to fatherhood, he was a devoted uncle to his nephews, Andrew and Timothy Kurek.

Bob was known for his kindness, and for a man who could have easily become cynical or apathetic, his humble optimism was punctuated by his ability to find the silver lining to every dark cloud. He was adored by his community, treasured by his family, and leaves behind a legacy of being a truly decent and selfless man. Bob Wonder was also a man of faith. His belief in God saw him through the turbulence of health scares, a fire that destroyed his family’s home, and countless other tragedies throughout his sixty-three years. But Bob would not let his mindset and attitude towards life be swayed by bumps in the road, oh no. Instead he lived with a perpetually positive and optimistic outlook on life, choosing to see the good in others and count his blessings, rather than using his circumstances as an excuse to lose hope. And what more could we aspire to in life than kindness, optimism, and empathy? These aspects of his character, along with the many other things that made him a good man were proof that he was born with the perfect last name. Bob simply was a Wonder, and we are all better off having had him in our lives.

A Memorial Visitation for Robert will be held Thursday, February 24, 2022 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer and Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131, followed by a memorial service from 4:00 AM to 5:00 PM.