Thomas Robert "Bob" Castle

Thomas Robert "Bob" Castle of Sarasota Florida passed away on April 30, 2016. He was born in 1931, in St. Joseph, Missouri. His parents were Patee Barrows and Kate E.(Laderoute) Castle, of Avenue City, Missouri. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sandra (Elbring) Castle, their children; Elizabeth (Earl) Philmon, Raleigh, NC; Walter (Wendy) Castle, Washington, D.C.; Reed Castle, (Tricia) Tarpon Springs, FL; sister-in-law Mary Ann Castle, St. Joseph, MO; and five grandchildren, Alex, Zach, Jake, Will, and Katie. His sister, Thelma (Castle) Irwin, St. Joseph, MO, and brother Donald O. Castle, St. Joseph, MO, predeceased him. He was a graduate of Central High School, St. Joseph MO. He attended and graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He was a member of the Sigma Nu social fraternity. He was a varsity football player under the legendary coach Don Faurot and co-captain of the 1952 team. He made the all-conference team at the university. His academic and leadership awards were: Phi Beta Kappa; Omicron Delta Kappa; Scabbard and Blade; Convair Cadet Award for outstanding senior as an Air Force ROTC Cadet. In 1958 he received his Master's Degree in Business from St. Louis University, College of Commerce and Finance. In 1987, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Missouri College of Arts and Science. He served his country during the Korean Conflict. Upon his Air Force active duty release, he joined Southwestern Bell Telephone in St. Louis, MO. He also worked in Cape Girardeau, Charleston, Kansas City, MO and Beaumont TX. He retired from the SBC Corporation as a Senior Manager in 1990. In 1993, Sandy and he moved to Naples FL. In 2004, they then moved to Sarasota FL. He enjoyed civic and volunteer work. He was a past President of the Downtown Kansas City Kiwanis Club; a past President of the Kansas City MU Alumni Chapter; Chairman of the St. Louis Leonor K. Sullivan OIC Program. He was on the Board of Jackson County Parks and Recreation, Kansas City Sports Commission, and Satchel Paige Stadium. As an avocation, he was an adjunct professor at Kansas City's Webster University, William Jewell College, and Park College. In 2010, due and thanks to the genealogy work of his wife he became a member of the Sons of America Revolution, Saramana Chapter, where he served as an officer. His most current volunteer work was 3rd grade tutoring and Stephen Ministry at Church of the Palms, Presbyterian, USA. The service is: 11:00 A.M., Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at Church of the Palms, in the Sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Fisher House Foundation (https://www.fisherhouse.org/).

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Thomas Robert "Bob" Castle

April 30, 2016