John Robert “Bob” Blickhan, 82, passed away on December 12, 2024, surrounded by his family. Born on February 13, 1942, to James Paul and Margaret Ann Blickhan, Bob was the fourth of five children. He attended St. Peter’s Grade School and from the start did not like the idea of school. He famously hid behind the garage or bushes instead of going to kindergarten until his mother would find him and eventually convinced him to stay at school.
Bob loved reminiscing about his 1940s and ’50s childhood, describing it as the best time to grow up. Days were spent playing kick-the-can, football and war, and staying out till dark and chasing lightning bugs. His stories included a near collision with a horse-drawn bread cart on his trike, cooling off with chipped ice from the delivery man, sleeping on the porch on hot summer nights, andlistening to the radio (no TV at the time) to hear the news that Truman had beaten Dewey. He said he didn’t know what that meant but his mom was happy, so he was happy.
Bob was a proud member of the Hogan High school class of 1959 where he developed many lasting friendships. Hemaintained close ties with grade school and high school friends throughout his life. Bob loved football and was quarterback of the Hogan football team. Despite not really enjoying the academic part of school, he definitely enjoyedthe social aspect of it and had fond memories of high school which he shared in a recent essay. “The dances, the parties at my house or Jim’s, hanging out at Nu Way, just bumming around the city night after night with a car full of guys, talking on the phone with your gal every night, going to movies, drive-in’s in the summer, swimming at Swope Park or Kernoodles, double dating. Looking back, we really had the good life and more fun than we deserved but did it anyway. I think the fact that so many of us stayed together thru the years is proof that high school was the best, and I am so happy I lived in that time period and with that group of kids.”
Bob started dating Barbara Ann Clark in high school—the quarterback dating the cheerleader—and they married in 1963. They had four children and somehow managed to put them all through Catholic grade school and high school. Bob was active in their lives, coaching and attending their various sporting events and activities. His kids always knew that if they had a game, he would be up in the stands. He continued this with his grandchildren, of whom he was very proud, and loved attending their sporting events and performances.
Bob later in his life met Chris Lear and they were married in 2006 in Las Vegas, which was one of his favorite places to vacation. He welcomed Chris’s four children as his own and was always present and a strong influence through their teenage years, always passing on wisdom and reason. Bob enjoyed traveling with Chris to various new places and visiting with family out of town. He never missed an opportunity to visit with family at a BBQ,holiday, or any gathering to spend time with extended family and all the grandkids. He would attend multiple Thanksgiving gatherings in one day (and eat well at them all) to make sure he was able to visit with everyone.
Bob attended KU and Finley Engineering College, but felt that college was not for him, so he joined his dad in his business at Consolidated Supply Company, a wholesale heating andplumbing business. It was his time spent at Consolidated that sparked his interest in computers. He was self-taught and created his own computer company and then became the head of the IT department of an insurance company. He retired at age 63. A month after he retired Bob volunteered with the Red Cross to help with Hurricane Katria relief efforts and two years later he went to Texas to help out after Hurricane Ike. He laterstarted driving for the American Cancer Society and the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging and did meals on wheels. He logged some 22,500 miles on over 2,000 rides for people without transportation to attend doctor visits, food pantries, and dialysis visits. The agency wanted to do an article about his volunteering, but in typical Bob fashion, he declined, not wanting any attention on himself.
Bob also spent countless hours throughout his life doing projects for other people. He was a handyman and talented carpenter who enjoyed building things for loved ones and working on home repair projects. He could build or fix anything and shared these skills with everyone, never turning down an opportunity to help others. He and his good friend, Frank Zondca, were so prolific in their willingness to help others with whatever needed to be done on their houses that they were affectionately known as B and Z Construction. Now reunited, they probably have a long list of things they are working on up there. Many of the projects Bob did were on all his kids’ and bonus kids’ houses. They can all look around their houses and point out multiple projects that were completed by him.
Bob was a sports enthusiast and loved KU basketball and Kansas City Chiefs football. He also enjoyed playing golf in his Wednesday night golf league with Chris and many friends, after which there was always dinner and conversation at a local restaurant.
Bob was a devoted family man who valued spending time with his large, blended family, and his many friends and neighbors. He was a lifelong Catholic and a man of strong faith. He was a member of St. Elizabeth Church for over 30 years and later a member of Church of the Ascension.
Bob was preceded in death by his mother and father, two infant siblings, his sister Margie Ann Ordonio and brothers-in-law Frank Ordonio and Joe Orrick, his brother Jim and sister-in-law Marceline, and his bonus daughter Jan Marie (Lear) Wright. He is survived by his wife Chris, his son David Blickhan (Rose Lyon), and his daughters Mary Chris Blickhan (TamiGreenberg), Sandy Gleason (Rick Rodriguez), and Amy Blickhan. He is also survived by his bonus children Deanna Wright, Kendra Salter (Stephen), Brian Lear (Autumn). He also leaves his grandchildren, Danny, Ryan, Andrew, Kelly, Ben and Alex Blickhan, and Gretchen and Nicholas Gleason, Connor, Miranda, and Alex Wright, Jada Winfrey, Journee Salter, Daijyaand Markel Robinson, as well as two great-grandchildren, Liam and Lily Blickhan.
Bob leaves his big sister Janice Orrick and his little sister Kathy Dwyer (John), as well as many nieces and nephews.
He is also survived by his four-legged,13-pound best friend, Jake, who will miss him very much.
Bob recently wrote, “How could a person, a father, a man be any prouder of what his legacy could be but of the children that are now adults, contributing to society as they are.” Bob will be deeply missed by all those who knew and loved him.
Services will be on December 19th at Church of the Ascension Church. 9510 W. 127th St. Overland Park, KS. Visitation 8:30 to 10:00. Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 with luncheon immediately following at the church. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging where Bob donated so much of his time.