Robert Eugene (Bob) Walterscheid

February 24, 1933 – September 8, 2025

Robert Eugene "Bob" Walterscheid, age 92, of Wichita, Kansas, passed away on September 8, 2025. He was  the adopted son of Charles and Leona Walterscheid (both deceased).

Born on February 24, 1933, in Wellington, Kansas, Bob was a lifelong Wichita resident. He graduated from St.  Anthony Grade School in 1947 and Cathedral High School in 1951. After three years of going "steady" in high  school, in a storybook marriage of the quarterback and the cheerleader, Bob married Mary Kathryn Gard, on  November 10, 1951. They shared 69 years of marriage before her passing.

Family

Bob was preceded in death by his wife Mary Katherine, his son Eric, and great-great-grandson Ryan Winder.

He is survived by his children: Debbie, Nancy, Mark (Terri), Jayne Duran (Luis), Kurt (Diana), Carl (Jennifer), and  Alec (Tina); 11 grandchildren – Annie, Robert, Nikki, Kimberly, Troy, Lisa, Jake, Chris, Camille, Megan,  Samantha; 31 great-grandchildren – Ashleigh, Briana, Josh, Carmen, Daycia, Jayce, Tino, Isabella, Anthony,  Issac, Aliecia, Christina, Brandon Jr., Jennie, Jasmine, Titus, Katriel, Khairi, Rayvn, Rylei, Kairo, Eric, Ryan,  Jax, Hazel, Ethan, Valyn, Grayson, Ayva, Harper, Penelope; 15 great-great-grandchildren – Aleina, Ricky,  Analeicia, Kailjah, Hudson, Aidyn, Sophia, Alivia, Tino III, Keiangelo, Dayloni, Carter, Enzo, and Zechariah.

Career and Service

Bob's professional life was long and varied:

• Tool & Die Maker

• Owner, Bob's Smoke Shop (downtown cigar store)

• Salesman, Moore Business Forms

• Salesman, KAKE-TV

• Sales Manager, KAKE-TV

• President, Walterscheid Productions, Inc. (1968–2023, 55 years)

• Coached Little League Baseball for over a decade

He served as Past President of St. Anthony's Parish Council, on the boards of the Center of Hope and Anthony  Family Shelter Advisory Board, and as Secretary of the Rain Tree Village Homeowners Association.

Awards & Recognition

• 1971 – Director of the Year, Wichita Ad Club

• 1994 – Silver Medal Award, Advertising Federation of Wichita

• 1999 – Hall of Fame inductee, Broadcast Professionals of Wichita

Life Highlights

• 1950s – In the late 1950s, Invented Pocket Football, which lead to an appearance on Opportunity  Knocks, a live TV show produced by KAKE-TV. Pocket Baseball and Pocket Basketball soon  followed.

• 1960s – Following the appearance on Opportunity Knocks, was offered a job at KAKE-TV in time  sales and soon rose to Local Sales Manager. Produced the famous "Putt Putt to the Pizza Hut" 60- second spot, for Pizza Hut which ran nationally for 8 years, won a 2nd place Clio Award, and became  the most requested Pizza Hut commercial by franchisees.

• 1968 – Formed Walterscheid Productions, Inc. In February of 1968, the first commercial produced  by WPI was for Taco Tico which won an Ad Club award locally and won in the 9th district.  • 1971–1997 – Created the advertising campaign "Fordman" for Rusty Eck Ford which aired for 26  years and became the longest-running single-concept automobile advertising campaign in the world. Created a TV commercial featuring, "The General" for Rusty Eck Ford. "The Surprise Attack Sale",  was then sold in 13 other markets. Developed a Used Car Ad Campaign featuring 52 print ads, along  with promotion items and radio spots for car dealers. This package was sold to over 40 dealers  throughout the US.

• 1974–1987 – Produced a full-length feature movie, King Kung Fu, a G rated family comedy using  local actors and production crew, which played in 11 theaters around the country and was sold  internationally to Japan, Taiwan and Poland.

• 1976–present – Performed motivational speeches as General Patton, incorporating an exact replica of  Patton's uniform, complete with medals and using a take-off of the speech at the beginning of the  movie, "Patton" as a sales motivator. Made appearances in 14 U.S. cities as well as Acapulco and  Hawaii.

• 1980s – Wrote and produced God's Business, which promoted vocations to the Catholic Priesthood.  This film aired throughout Kansas, on the EWTN network, in 6 states and several foreign countries. Wrote and produced two TV spots for National Autofinders which ran in 12 markets, nationally and  on ABC and NBC TV networks.

• 1989 – Wrote and produced Santa Claus and the True Meaning of Christmas, a children's video  featuring Henry Harvey who played Santa Claus on local TV for 30 years.

• 1980s–1990s – One of three partners who helped promote the Wichita Summernationals Drag Boat  Races on the Arkansas River and Lake Afton for 10 years. At one point this was recognized as the  biggest drag boat race in the world.

• Originated a T-shirt line known as Latin Teeze. These shirts were sold nationally and carried various  statements in Latin, derived from prayers from the Catholic Latin mass.

• 2003 – One of four who promoted PROJECT: PAYBACK, Cathedral High School alumni fundraiser  for the Sisters of St. Joseph, raising over $1,000,000 to date.

• 2021- Author of "The Old Philosopher", a gathering of stories, happenings and events to enlighten  your life. (https://watermarkbooks.com/book/9781878948007)

Services

A Rosary will be held at 6:00 PM on Friday, September 19th, 2025, with a Funeral Mass at 10:00 AM on  Saturday, September 20th, 2025. Private family burial.

Location:

St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church,

258 N. Ohio (Second St. and Ohio) in Wichita.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to St. Anthony Church.