Robert T. Firestone was born November 4, 1928 in Odessa, MO and died July 19, 2022 at Locust Grove Village in La Crosse, KS. In between he had a rich and varied life. Perhaps his greatest interest lay in the study and teaching of German. After graduating from Central Methodist College in MO, he earned a Master's degree at the University of Nebraska, and later a Ph.D. at Indiana University.
He was also a talented pianist and actor and, in retirement, played several roles with the FHSU theatre, most memorably Dr. Chumley in "Harvey."
Before he began work on his Ph.D., he served for two years in the US Army in Berlin, Germany, where his job was to monitor radio activity in the Russian zone. His Berlin experience was life changing. Since barracks were not yet available, he boarded with a German family and became fully fluent in both standard German and Berlin dialect. Because he didn't smoke, he could trade his weekly issue of cigarettes for meals in good restaurants and the exciting theatrical and musical events of the big city.
After receiving his Ph.D. he taught at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and then at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he met and married Ruth Hartzell, a graduate student in German, and adopted her children, Andrew Rentz and Susan Rentz, now Susan Krause. Other members of the family are his granddaughter Katharine Abdoo and her twins Will and Brie, his great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, July 25, 2022, at 10:00 AM at St Joseph Catholic Church, 215 West 13th Street, Hays, Kansas 67601, with Father Rich Daise officiating. Robert's family will receive guests from 9:00 AM until service time at the church. Military services will follow the mass on the east lawn of the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to: The St Joseph Food Pantry in care of the funeral chapel.
Services in care of Brock's-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com.