Bob Erisman

Bobby Dean (Bob) Erisman, 81, passed away peacefully Tuesday, December 6, 2016, at his home in Ottawa, Kansas, with his loving family by his side. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, December 17, 2016, at the First United Methodist Church, 203 E. 4th St. in Ottawa. Family will meet with visitors immediately following the service. Per Bob’s request his remains were cremated. Inurnment will be at a later date. Born August 28, 1935, in Joplin, Missouri, to Leslie Firman and Ruth Revee (Reece) Erisman, Bob grew up in Fairview, Missouri, and graduated from Fairview High School with the class of 1953. He continued his education at McPherson College where he played basketball and earned a bachelor’s degree in education. He later earned his master’s degree in education at Pittsburg State University. Bob taught for a brief time in the Hiawatha area before taking a position teaching social studies in Lane and then Richmond, Kansas, schools. He was a member of the first faculty of Central Heights (USD 288) when consolidation brought together the small schools of Princeton, Richmond, Lane, and Rantoul. During his tenure at Central Heights he was a teacher, athletics director, assistant principal, and principal at either the junior high or senior high level (in 1969 he took a one-year sabbatical to teach in a Department of Defense School in Fulda, Germany). He retired in the year 2000 after 36 years at Central Heights. It was at a school event in Princeton, Kansas, where Bob first met the one true love of his life, June Sutton. They were united in marriage on June 9, 1967, at the First United Methodist Church in Ottawa and enjoyed 49 wonderful years together. She survives of the home. Bob is survived by his three sons: Terry Erisman of Lawrence, Gary Erisman and wife Lisa of Overland Park, and Tony Erisman and wife Kim of Olathe; and six wonderful grandchildren: Anna, Jane, William, Reece, Matthew, and Dylan. He is also survived by his one sister Betty Snodgrass, her husband Bob, and three nephews: Mike, Dana, Terry Snodgrass, and their families. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leslie and Ruth Erisman. Teaching was Bob’s true passion. He enjoyed the opportunity to build relationships with young people. Many of these relationships continued for the remainder of Bob’s life. Students young and old expressed how much Bob meant to them. Those students may not have realized how much they truly impacted him as well. Bob was very athletic and enjoyed outdoor activities and sports including baseball, softball, basketball, fishing, and bicycling. He loved Kansas Jayhawks basketball and was a die-hard fan of the St. Louis Cardinals since his childhood. In 2003, Bob played center field for the Kansas City Antiques, helping them win a national title in a competitive softball league for players in their 70s. Bob will always be associated with his 1964 Ford Galaxie 500, a car he purchased new in 1963 and drove daily to work and around town for decades. During his retirement “Old Blue” was fully restored and Bob enjoyed taking his car to area car shows and most especially sharing stories with complete strangers in the way only he could. A uniquely positive person, Bob was known for his great smile and overall happy demeanor. He never met a stranger and treated others with kindness. People often mentioned how he always seemed to have a smile on his face. He was silly and playful. Not surprisingly, his favorite shows were comedies. And at birthday parties, his outbursts of laughter from reading a funny greeting card were truly memorable. Healthy and vibrant his entire life, Bob suddenly fell seriously ill in August and suffered a stroke in October. While saddened by this loss, his family and friends take solace in knowing he lived a wonderful and happy life which affected so many in such positive ways. Bob will be remembered as a kind man who loved, supported, and cared for his family throughout his life. He put his family before himself and truly cherished his time with his grandchildren. The family suggests memorial contributions to Central Heights Community Scholarship Fund c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067. Family and friends are encouraged to post their condolences and memories on Bob’s Tribute Wall at www.dengelmortuary.com