Bob Blinn

1934 – 2016

This is not your ordinary obituary because our dad, Bob Blinn, was an extraordinary person. Literally, the son of a preacher man, Dad began making a name for himself as a young person in Kansas.

During one of his father’s church services, young Bob was the center of attention when his father announced to the congregation, “Will the mother of the young boy in the second row please take him outside?” During high school he attended school during the day and worked an eight-hour shift each night at the local hospital. That still left time to roar up and down the streets of his small town on his Harley Davidson motorcycle, much to the consternation of the people of Lecompton.

Dad was the fourth of five children and was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Lydia Blinn, and by his siblings Larry and Don. His sister Vera passed away this past Sunday, the day after Dad. Their sister Joyce lives in Michigan. Dad was 81 years old and often said, “I never thought I’d live to be in my 80’s, but I’m sure glad I did!”

As a young man, Dad truly found the love of his life, our mom Jeanne. Married by Dad’s father, Dad and Mom had been married for 62 years and held hands each night as they went to bed. From a humble beginning, Dad worked hard to provide for his family and give us educational and social opportunities he did not have as a child. He rose quickly through the ranks in the farm equipment and manufacturing industries to become a C.E.O. Always enjoying something new, he changed industries at the end of his career and began recruiting physicians to work in small towns. He was so proud of this work and of bringing much needed medical services to small towns such as the ones in which he grew up.

Dad and Mom have always had a wide social network, and as his career progressed they moved many times across the United States. Dad made friends easily and had a genuine interest in getting to know his friends. In testament to the strong bonds of his friendships, he maintained his lifelong friendships to the end and it has given us, and especially our Mom, much comfort to hear from the special people in Dad’s life.

Dad’s impact on each of our lives is immeasurable. We will carry with us forever our memories of snowmobiling, sledding, road trips, skiing, and his sincere interest and pride in the lives of each of us and of his grandchildren: Rob, wife Feige, children Theo and Emma; Barb, husband Jeff, children Garrett, Victoria and Jackson; and Julie, husband Randy, and children Taylor, Tatiana, Tristan, Turner, and Trinity all loved their “Papa”.

Graveside services will be Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Bentley, Kansas and will be conducted under the direction of Hillside Funeral Home West in Wichita, Kansas, in cooperation with Ridout’s Southern Heritage Funeral Home in Pelham, Alabama.

If so desired, memorial donations can be given to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation: themmrf.org.