Robert C. ‘Bob’ Malir (1932-2020)

Robert C. ‘Bob’ Malir, 87, of Wilson passed away Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020.  He was born April 16, 1932 to RC and Emma Posusta Malir on the family farm south of Wilson. 
He attended the one room stone school “Ziska” in Noble Township. Bob was in the last country school class to graduate when Ziska closed in the fall of 1945. Bob attended all four years of high school at Wilson, graduating in the class of 1949. He lived and worked on the family farm until drafted to the Army in late 1952. He did basic training at Ft. Chaffee, Ark. and then completed basic training at Ft. Sill Okla. He was stationed there when the Korean War Armistice was signed in July of 1953.
In early 1953, he was chosen to attend Ft. Sill’s non-commissioned leadership Academy. Cpl. Malir’s class was composed of 91 men, each of whom was chosen by his unit commander to attend the class. Bob was named honor graduate that year.
He returned home to Wilson in 1954, farmed briefly before he signed as career Agent with American General Life Insurance Company in an agency in Topeka, Kan. He and his wife Joan, formed an all-lines insurance agency in Wilson — later selling their business to Ellco Insurance Company of Lorraine, Kan. in 2000. Bob was active with his local chapter of the Life Underwriters in Great Bend, Kan. He was elected state president of the Kansas Association of Life Underwriters which at the time consisted of 1,500 members. As a life-long learner, he was among the first to earn a Chartered Life Underwriting (CLU) certificate by passing a three-part training program and ongoing bi-annual exams. He received his CLU designation in 1975. In 1998 he was asked to join the Board of Directors of Marysville Mutual Insurance Company, where he served for 25 years. In 1999, Bob was named to the Hall of Fame of the Kansas Life Underwriters based on his work in his profession, and his community involvement.  
Bob was an active member of American Legion Post 262 in Wilson and participated with honor, in the Memorial Day services, and was an active member of the firing squad. He was involved with many City of Wilson activities, and poured his heart and soul into the annual Czech Festival. Bob played the clarinet for 50 years in the Wilson Czech Band, and participated in many aspects of this annual event.  He was incredibly proud of his Czech heritage and was fluent in the Czech language, which he loved to speak when the opportunity presented itself. In honor of Bob’s involvement in Czech heritage, Senator Robert Dole named him to the National Folklife Center’s, Board of Directors in Washington, D.C. He served on this Board for the maximum six years, and met quarterly during that time in the Library of Congress. 
Bob enjoyed reading, studying maps and details of World War II. His two trips to the Czech Republic were most enjoyable since he could converse with the locals in the Czech Language.
Bob is survived by his wife of 64 years, Joan, of Wilson; children, Carol (Dean) Keiswetter of Raleigh, N.C., Paul Malir (Lynn Ellen) of Lenexa, Kan., and Lynn (Bill) Dowling of Hays, Kan.; 11 grandchildren, Thomas (Lauren) Dowling, Andrew (Laura) Dowling, Catherine (Bradley) Grosscup, Anthony Dowling, Christine (Allan) Thomas, Kristen Malir and Mathew Malir, and Spencer, Ethan, Chloe, and Addison Keiswetter; and eight great-grandchildren, Graham, Jack, Drew, Jane, Annie, Benjamin, Parker, and Grace.
A visitation will start at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26 and go to 8 p.m. with a Vigil Service and Rosary starting at 7 p.m. at Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home in Wilson.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27, at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Wilson with an interment to follow at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery with military rites by Fort Riley Honor Guard and the American Legion Post 262. 
Memorials are suggested to American Red Cross and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, PO Box 533, Wilson, Kan. 67490. 
Online condolences can be left for the family at www.plumeroverlease.com