A few thoughts about Bob Pyle

My condolences go the family of Bob Pyle, 54, Nixa, formerly of Carthage, who died Monday from brain cancer.

Though I never knew Bob, two of his children, Brooke and Matthew Pyle, worked for me at The Carthage Press in the late 1990s. Both were hard working, polite, and respectful, qualities which they obviously learned at home from Bob and his wife, Cathy.

Matthew handled film developing chores, and was one of a group of four led by Stacy Rector, who published a weekly section called Teen Tuesday in The Press. Matthew and Stacy were honored for their work in the fall of 1998 when they received the first place award for community service from the Missouri Press Association.

Brooke started out taking calls from customers whose papers had not been delivered on time. From there, she gradually moved into the news room. Though her primary interest was photography, she eventually wrote a number of features and was involved along with Ron Graber and me in the coverage of Janet Kavandi's first space shuttle launch. During the summer of 1998, Brooke, who was a 1997 Carthage Senior High School graduate, and Jana Blankenship, a 1998 Webb City High School graduate, helped Ron and me provide news coverage as we waited for the right people to become available to strengthen the staff. Eventually, in August of '98, we hired Jo Ellis, Rick Rogers, and John Hacker to fill out the news staff.

Brooke and Matthew, the two oldest of Bob and Kathy Pyle's four children, have gone on to success in their adult lives. Brooke is a lawyer in Springfield, and Matthew is stationed on the U. S. S. Ronald Reagan.

Obituary information is printed below:

Robert Franklin Pyle was born Sept. 30, 1954, in Rapid City, S.D., to Shirley Pyle, currently of Carthage and Ben Pyle, Columbia.
He has one brother, Steve Pyle, also of Carthage.

He lived in Carthage most of his formative years attending school there and graduating in 1973 from Carthage High School. He later obtained his B.S. in Information Systems from Missouri Southern State University in 2005. He was a member, Sunday School teacher and deacon of First Baptist Church of Carthage.

He married Cathy Pyle in 1977. He is survived by his wife and four children: Brooke Smith and her husband, Scott of Springfield; Matthew Pyle, currently on active duty on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan; and Evan and Kieffer Pyle of the home. Cathy and Bob moved their family to Ozark, Mo., in 2008, where they are members at Parkcrest Baptist in Springfield, Mo.
Bob passed away Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, after a short illness with brain cancer.

Services will be at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, at First Baptist Church in Carthage with visitation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations, in honor of Bob, to the American Cancer Society, Community Hospices of America or the American Red Cross.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of Knell Mortuary, Carthage, Mo.