Obituary; Robert (Bob) Kinney

Robert (Bob) Kinney, 70, of Superior passed away August 23, 2014 at St. Patrick Hospital with his family by his side. Bob was born to Russell and Wilma Kinney on March 9, 1944 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bob graduated from Missoula County High School in 1962. As a high school basketball player, he was a shooting guard for Lou Rocheleau’s Sentinel Spartans as they ran up a 54-game winning streak enroute to becoming the 1962 Class AA State Champions. Four years later, Bob earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Education - Mathematics/Health Sciences from the University of Montana in 1966. In that same year, he married Beatrice Lefler Schatz and they moved to Superior where he taught Mathematics, Social Sciences and Health Enhancement and coached wrestling and football until his retirement in 2000.

Upon being hired to teach at Superior, the Bobcats had no wrestling coach but had mats on order. Even without any wrestling experience, Bob was pressed into service as Superior High School’s first head wrestling coach. His immediate love of wrestling led him to what he considered one of his most significant achievements as co-author the Western Montana Little Guy Wrestling program. From its inauspicious beginning at the family dining room table in 1976 to becoming one of the largest youth athletic organizations in Montana, Bob was passionate about providing opportunities for Montana youth to learn the sport of wrestling in a climate that was accommodating to all kids and parents alike. His aim was to hopefully foster a love in kids for the sport that would encourage kids to wrestle in high school. Bob’s firm and exacting manner consistently instilled the mettle necessary to build the confidence and character to compete on the mat and in life.

Bobcat assistant coaches Clark Conrow (WMLGW co-author) and Gary Tourtelotte, with the support of former Superior High Principal Orvil Thompson and many Bobcat wrestling parents, worked hard alongside Bob to build the foundation that would eventually become the Bobcat wrestling dynasty and would span three decades resulting in three state championships. Throughout those years and across thousands and thousands of miles, his wife Beatrice supported him in the stands. Bea washed and mended uniforms, chaperoned cheerleaders and dispensed snacks and first aid from her legendarily indispensable purse to the ravenous wrestlers under Bob’s charge. His participation in wrestling provided the opportunity to compete against awesome coaching rivals and friends of the likes of Jug Beck (Missoula), Lanny Bryant (Missoula), Carl Meecham (Seeley Swan), Bob Owens (Polson), Fred Volkman (Cutbank), Ken Hill (Arlee), Tom Holleran and Shawn Allen (Thompson Falls), Scott Filius (Havre), Jeff Nagel (Corvallis) and countless other coaches from across Montana. It pleased him to no end that he belonged to the close-knit wrestling family where you were only a phone call away, in any community with a wrestling program, from a meal and a place to stay. Listening to and retelling the stories of wrestling exploits with past coaches and wrestlers was one of his great joys. It was also very important for him to turn the keys of his program over to current Bobcat head coach Charlie Crabb, a former Bobcat wrestling and football standout and his longtime assistant Gary Tourtelotte.

After 33 years of teaching and coaching, he retired but quickly became bored and went to work delivering fuel oil for Cenex Harvest States - Energy Partners where he worked keeping people warm until this past February. Bob’s work ethic was prodigious and extraordinary and he felt driven to avoid becoming idle. His concern for his customers was remarkable for man who had not spent much time in the world of customer service.

Much later in life, Bob’s other great joy came about through the arrival of his grandchildren. Camping, hunting and fishing outings, trips to the family cabin at Flathead Lake and horseback rides into mountain lakes were among the things he relished, especially when sharing them with family. Bob is survived by his wife of 47 years Bea, children Todd (Libby), Scott (Superior), Courtney (Sandpoint, ID) and grandchildren Drew (KID), Tanner, Riley, Tucker, Jillian and Harli Jo. He was preceded in death by parents Russell and Wilma Kinney (Missoula) and sister Karen Koefelda (Turah).

A memorial gathering will be held in the Superior High School gym on September 6th at 12:30 PM with a luncheon in the high school multipurpose room to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Bob Kinney Memorial Scholarship fund at Superior High School.