Robert Tomlinson Obituary

Bob and I were roommates at KU and I was his best man at his wedding. I love Bob. We played poker every night at KU and at his home in Roeland Park.
Bob knew everything about baseball. I umpired in the minors and Bob was so proud. I caught him at his only game pitching and he actually lasted 7 innings. It was great.
One time, we went to Denver and went to a baseball bar called "The Green Monster." We noticed a chalk board with 5 questions. If you could answer them, you drank for free. No one ever had succeeded. Bob looked at the bartender and started answering all 5 questions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Bob drew quite a croud, all cheering at every answer. We drank free all night!
My condolences, Carole. I love you, Bob. We'll play Texas hold 'em in Heaven.

I am so sorry to hear of Bob's passing. I knew Bob when he was growing up on Lowel Ave. with the Weaver boys. I am their Aunt and Bob was present at many Weaver events! He was part of the family! My maiden name was Olson.

I first met Bob 45 years ago, as an undergrad at KU. From the get go, Bob was hard-working, creative, kind and compassionate. He always put others first, but he also knew how to cultivate enthusiasm and fun!

Bob was a great man, an honest leader, and a loyal, dear friend. Our condolences to the family and to all who knew him.

Mark and Stacy Parkinson here. We are big fans of Bob and wanted to let his family know how sad we are to hear of his passing.

We knew Bob in multiple ways. I first heard of Bob clear back in high school. He was a respected debater and even though our paths did not cross in high school, I knew about him.

I was then very glad to get to know him when we both settled in Johnson County and entered the complicated and frustrating world of Kansas politics. Bob was a voice of reason, in a world full of extremes. All of us could count on him to have a level head and always take the position he believed in, whether it was politically to his benefit or not. He showed enormous courage in vote after vote, and was a source of inspiration to all of us.

Finally, and most important, at least to me, is the way he treated residents at our long term care facilities. Bob was a frequent visitor. The residents loved it when he came. Many would get dressed up, others would prepare topical questions, and all of us felt special. Having him visit with the residents was always a huge highlight.

I am very sorry that Stacy and I can not be there to celebrate his life on the 24th. We will be out of the country on a long planned trip. But we will think fondly of him on the 24th. He was a special man who we were both fortunate to know and work with.

His entire family has our deepest sympathies.

Mark and Stacy Parkinson
Friends and former Governor/First Lady of Kansas

Bob and I were elected to the legislature the same year. When conservative Republicans elected a speaker at the beginning of our second terms in the House, we were both assigned to share a windowless office on the fourth floor of the Capitol, next to the men´s room that had previously been a broom closet. Because I had known Bob from my time at Boys State we shared a close friendship and, politically, I´m not sure there was anything we disagreed on. Bob was one of the funniest people I have ever known. He was a loyal, compassionate and caring friend. He was mischievous in ways that let you know his inner child was healthy and happy. Bob´s politics were fueled by a rock solid commitment to serve the people of his district, the people who raised him.

I´m not sure anyone could count votes in the House better than Bob. That is a skill few have.

He was smart, humble and a great communicator. He knew when to shut up and he knew how to cut a deal. He worked with whomever he thought could partner with him to do good.

Lord, did he love his boys. They grew up with frequent visits to the House floor. And all that he achieved was supported and made possible because of his partner in life and big love, Carole.

On the mound, Bob could throw one hell of a curveball but in the game of legislating, he was a straight shooter. His word was his bond. His character was defined by his unshakable commitment to honesty and decency.

People will sometimes ask me if I miss the legislature. I usually respond that I don´t miss the conflicts and pettiness but that I do miss some of the people. All those hours Bob and I spent together as comrades in arms and all the laughs we shared (he could always crack me up) are treasured memories. It has brought a smile to my face to relive them since his passing.

Bob Tomlinson was one of the good guys. Kansas is a better place because of him. I know I´m a better person for having had him as a friend. His legacy lives on in all the good he did, all the lives he enriched and all the people who knew his love and friendship.

I´ll miss the big doofus especially the twinkle in his eye that let you know he was up to something and his uniquely wonderful laugh.

Godspeed, you good and faithful servant.

Bob was the first teacher to speak to me ate Aep/ Horizons. It was my first day of high-school. He spent and un-measurable amount of time being kind to people and offering wisdom. He was a one of a kind and could never be replaced. He will never be forgotten by anyone who met him.

Bob was one of my closest childhood friends. We grew up in together at the same church. We played football together. I got the guy started in politics as he was my campaign manager for 7th grade president. I was his campaign manager in the 9th grade. We both won. His prowess for politics was astounding even as a 12 year old kid. I have many great childhood memories with Bob. I had a nickname in the 7th grade. He may not have remembered this, but I am the one that gave him his nickname of Popeye. I felt bad for him when people teased him and called him hurtful names. I had a nickname and wanted him to have a nickname too. He was also my oldest son's favorite teacher. So thankful I got to spend time with him last year and am mourning the loss of my old friend.

From Bristol Hill as infancy and toddler life your friends at the church with my mother, which instantly made you a friend of mine some odd years later I walk into my classroom to see that my teacher is the same man who is the walking lesson in the church! I couldn´t even wait to tell my mother that you were gonna be my teacher! I was a pistol with an attitude, but that was never the case in your classroom! If anything, you softened me in a hard world because you listened you cared, and you were selfless and lacked the judgment that I felt like the world had against us like we were troubled kids. Not everyone was troubled there, but you saw us as upcoming productive citizens and training and kids in need of Counsel and a safe zone for those of us that had hardship! You broke things down in a way that we could pick up the pieces one by one, not realizing it was all a part of a plan, and that was too give us a dose of reality in truth in such a way by the time we were done understanding each segment at the end there was a lesson! You are none less than great and went off to do many great things even after schooling a bunch of hyperactive kids that thrived in your classroom much like your family did within your own home! You took the potential that led to greatness, and you fed it. The very values that would give us a sense of self pride, and you taught us, that not all educational systems were built to see us fail! Taught us to be great never giving up on us. You look forward to us every day with great sadness. It´s unfortunate however to find that life cut short of that one opportunity to let you see how we turned out I missed out on a humble explanation to you of how you changed my life, outstanding and speaking for me. Graduation was one of the most profound speeches of my whole entire life how my graduation wasn´t just graduation. It was a opportunity for someone that had seen the many faces in my life to explain the growth in which allowed me to excel into a graduate after whatever complications in my life we´re slowing me down. I graduated a year early and because of you, I have a lifelong memory of an educational system that gave me the tools in the intestinal fortitude to be the multifaceted industrious human that never quits that works harder than I´ve ever worked in my life that I am today the avid educational advocate they would do anything for her son to have the great opportunity that I had! I moved my son out of Kansas City so that I could give him greatness just as I was blessed with with you guys however, he was a step ahead of me and alternative wasn´t a part of his experience however, I move to one of the greatest school districts to offer my son much more than what Kansas City could offer my son today and for all that I was given and for all that I strive for and for all that I was taught, I gave my son one of the greatest opportunities that walked him to graduation a year early himself and it wasn´t until that day that I realized he is the third generation of early graduates in our family and because of you I wanna say thank you and I know this comes a little late, but for all of those that truly endure every word placed here I hope I´ll let you know that I am proud of every moment that Bob Tomlinson was a part of our lives. He is a man of greatness, a man of empathy and a man of belief that no child was left behind that no difficulty could create the inability to learn to be great and because of him we learned that " education" is a learning process and something you never stop yearning for once you realize that you´re old enough to understand the gifts you were given in the system they gave you hope! You would still see Jen and I today if you were here and chuckle and think to yourself " somethings never change" however, much time changes and no matter how much goes by I will always be the first one to say we are very grateful for you and I thank you for being a part of not just my education but my whole life! I will never let you straight from my heart! I hope heaven has a classroom. Lord knows you got a smile on your face and are wiling to make people´s first days in heaven just as comfortable as the first days we had in the classroom! Thank you for changing my world, and if I may speak for all of us at the alternative education program, we could not have done any of this without you!

When I started my teaching career st AEP (Horizons) in 1989, Bob took me under his wing for my first few years. During that time, we discovered that we really liked each other's sense of humor. We could make each other laugh in an instant. I worked with Bob until 2003. At one of his annual End of the Year Backyard Parties, he taught me how to use Dowsing Rods to locate underground water sources. It really works! I hold Bob in the highest regard I can possibly hold any human. He was an incredible person. I am SO VERY honored that he was a part of my life.
My condolences to his Family on their loss.
RIP my Friend. Thank you for being my Friend and giving me so much guidance.
Jeff Brown