Robert Evans “Bob” Hirons, age 77, a resident of Fort Scott, Kansas passed away Sunday, February 25, 2024, at Advent Shawnee Mission Hospital in Merriam, Kansas following complications from extensive back surgery. He was born December 10, 1946, in Kansas City Missouri. He attended public school in Independence, Missouri and eventually moved with his family to Overland Park, Kansas and became part of the second graduating class at Shawnee Mission West High School. Bob served in the U.S. Army from 1966-1968 where he was deployed in Korea with a unit that trained troops for the Vietnam War. He also served in the Kansas National Guard from 1979-1984.
Bob returned to Kansas City after his Army service and soon began a 40-year career with the U.S. Postal Service. During this time, he also served as a union representative and steward with the American Postal Workers Union. Bob met his wife, Barbara Joan Hirons at a New Year’s Eve party in her hometown of Fredonia, KS. They began dating when they were both back in Kansas City and were married on March 17, 1970. They moved to Fort Scott in 1971 and have resided in their beloved Victorian home on Crawford Street since 1976. Bob dedicated much of his free time to serving at Community Christian Church in various roles including Sunday school teacher, deacon, elder, treasurer, and board chairman. He and Joan joined Rinehart Christian Church and he has poured himself into caring for this church community over the last 6 years. Bob was passionate about baseball. He enjoyed coaching his sons’ little league teams, religiously followed the Kansas City Royals, and loved taking trips with his family to visit stadiums throughout the country. He also loved to follow the KU Jayhawks with his two sons and the KSU Wildcats with his grandson. Bob took great delight caring for his grandchildren in their earliest years, and loved attending their piano recitals, athletic events, and school activities as they grew older.
Survivors include his wife Joan and his children Michael (Julie) of Leawood and Scott (Alison) of Overland Park and three grandchildren: Shade, Phoebe and Nora Hirons, all of Overland Park. Also surviving are his brother Franklin Hirons (Lori) of St. Croix, VI and his sister Sandra Garrison (Dan) of Asheville, North Carolina.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Hirons (1973) and Edith Hirons Dennis (2017).
Rev. Kevin Moyers will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Friday, March 1st, at the Rinehart Christian Church in Richards, MO. Burial will follow at 1:30 PM in the U. S. National Cemetery, Fort Scott. The family will receive friends from 5:30 until 7:30 Thursday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Rinehart Christian Church Building 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 online at cheneywitt.com.