Robert 'Bob' Mall, Clay Center
Obituary | Robert "Bob" Mall | Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home (nsrfh.com)
Robert "Bob" Mall, age 75, died August 12, 2021 at his home in Clay Center. Bob was born in Blackwell, Oklahoma on August 12, 1946, the son of Katheryn Ann Chilcoat Mall and Jack D. Mall. Bob attended grade school in Topeka, KS and Clay Center. He graduated from Clay Center High School in 1964. Bob felt it was a great honor to be inducted into the Clay Center Tiger Hall of Fame.
Bob secured a full scholarship and earned business administration bachelor and master degrees at Kansas University. Later he earned a post-graduate degree in senior management from Harvard University.
Bob worked for the U.S. Customs Service in a variety of positions and locations. After starting as an import specialist in Kansas City, he had roles as port director in Tampa, district director in New Orleans, assistant regional commissioner in Chicago, deputy assistant commissioner in D.C, U.S. Customs attaché and World Customs Organization diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels, Belgium.
Through his career, he was able to oversee operations at Atlanta and JFK airports. As a senior executive, he was involved in a number of trade negotiations for the U.S. Department of State that opened up international markets to U.S. products. His methods became an international standard. For this, Bob received the Presidential Merit Award from President George H. W. Bush. He also participated in nuclear department negotiations with the governments of Russia and Belarus.
Bob married Vicky Thompson on April 14, 1967. He is preceded in death by his parents and one son, Kelly Mall. Survivors are wife Vicky of the home; son Kyle (Tish) Mall of Battle Creek, Michigan; grandkids Jake (Chelsea) and Chelcie; great-grandkids Owen (O), Peyton Jay (PJ), Zaiden (Z), and Lucas all of Battle Creek, Michigan.
Graveside memorial services will be held on Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at the Parallel Cemetery in Washington County, Kansas. It will be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/nsrfuneralhome/live
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to gifts can be made to the St. Paul's Episcopal Church or the Clay County Hospital Foundation (for future dialysis unit).