Robert Harvey Belknap, age 81, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. He was born September 14, 1941, in Tulsa, OK, the son of James H. Belknap, Sr. and Thelma F. Warwick Belknap. Bob attended school in Chetopa, KS from1st grade throughmid-term11th grade. He and his mother moved to Denver, CO where he graduated from West Denver High School in 1959. While working for Ceebuzz Supermarket, he was encouraged by his employer to join the Marines. Bob joined the Marines in 1960 and served for 4 years, 2 months, 10 days, and 4 hours, which he repeated numerous times to his family. While stationed in Hawaii he was a radar tech, a sharpshooter, as well as a lifeguard and played basketball.
Upon his return to Fort Scott to join his mother in 1964, he enrolled at FSCC. He became manager for the football team. Bob worked in sales for many years for various companies. In 1974, he and his brother Jim purchased the Bronson Locker and owned it for 10 years. He worked for O’Reilly Auto Parts for a couple of years until taking a job with the Post Office. He worked for the Post Office for 12 years until retirement. Bob was a former President of the FSCC Booster Club, former member of the Amateur Baseball Association, Baseball Umpires Association, Mirza Shrine, Bronson Ruritan, V.F.W., and was a 32-degreeMason. He was a member of the Bronson United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife Pam of the home; a son, Brett Roufs and wife Michelle, Newton, KS; a daughter, Melanie Elliott and husband Justin, Paola, KS; a brother, James H. Belknap, Jr., Fort Scott; 7 grandchildren, Morgan, Olivia, Lance, Noah, Manny, Maiya, and Dawson; 1 great grandchild Ryan; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Michelle Weaver; a grandson, Jacob R. Welch; a sister Thelma Sue Dement; and his parents.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, December 2nd, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from10:00 until service time at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to either Wreaths Across America or FSCC Endowment Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
