Robert J. Roth

Robert J. Roth, born June 15, 1928, peacefully passed away March 8, 2016, at the age of 87. A Rosary will be said at 7 p.m., Friday, March 11, at Downing & Lahey Mortuary, 6555 E. Central. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 12, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 1215 N. Stratford Ln. The son of Joseph and Victoria Roth, Bob grew up in Victoria, Kansas and spent his adult life in Wichita, Kansas, practicing law for 54 years. Bob served in the Army during the Korean War. He graduated from Fort Hays State in 1952 and graduated from Washburn School of Law in 1955. He served as the United States Attorney for the State of Kansas from 1969 to 1975. He spent the majority of his 54 years in the practice of law at Hershberger, Patterson, Jones and Roth. Bob retired from the law profession in 2009. He was a lifetime member of the Kansas Bar Association; a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers; a member of the American Judicature Society; and a recipient of the 2003 Kansas Bar Associations Professionalism Award. Bob enjoyed sports of all kinds. He was a youth baseball coach for many season; enjoyed golf, tennis, softball, hunting and skiing. He was also an avid contributor to the annals of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, an organization that documents the path his ancestors took on their journey to this country. He was very involved in Republican politics and campaigned for Kansas governors and U.S. senators. He always maintained a strong belief in God and the Catholic faith. He was a longtime member of the St. Thomas Aquinas parish. He always treasured the many good friendships he established through the parish as well as his many friends from the law profession. One of his great joys in life was watching his seven grandchildren mature into fine adults. Bob is survived by his wife of 63 years, Lucy; his children, Jeff (Cyndi), Steve (Casey) and Jenny (Mike); and seven grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Rose Schmidt and numerous nieces and nephews. He also loved his extended family from western Kansas. God, family and country were his top priorities. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather, and will be sorely missed by all. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church or the Wichita Childrens Home.