Robert Woodroe Kinder

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Robert “Bob” W. Kinder, 66, of Odessa, Missouri passed away on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at home.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at the First Baptist Church of Odessa with Reverend Terry Hodges officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the First Baptist Church. Burial will be in the Odessa City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to the Odessa Cemetery Association, Odessa Public School Foundation or the First Baptist Church Building Fund. Condolences for the family may be left at www.ralphojones.com <http://www.ralphojones.com> or on our Facebook Page.

Robert Woodroe Kinder was born on September 28, 1947 at the office of Dr. W. E. Martin, M.D. in downtown Odessa to the parents of Thomas Woodroe “Woody” Kinder and Dorothy Margaret Davis Kinder. Bobby Kinder is the grandson of Vardaman Roe Kinder and Anna Neomia Baker Kinder and Chester Franklin Davis and Ruby Aileen Bertz Davis. He was named after his uncle, Robert Chester Davis, and his father.

Survivors include cousins, Tawahna Hoffman of Odessa, MO, Amy Heatherly and husband Derrick; their children, Alyssa, Justice and Ariana of Odessa, MO, Caleb Hoffman and wife Joanne of Bury St. Edmunds, England and Adam Hoffman of Warrensburg, MO; his favorite aunt Betty Davis of Odessa, MO and very close family friends Dan and Judy Pugh.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents.

Bobby Kinder worked at the Odessa Ice Cream factory during the summer months while attending High School. He graduated from Odessa High School in 1965 where he was a member of Georges’ Chapter of the National Honor Society and became the first in the Kinder family to obtain a high school education.

He obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law Enforcement in 1969 and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration in 1978 from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Chief Kinder was elected to membership in the Gamma Epsilon Delta Chapter of Lambda Alpha Epsilon, the professional law enforcement fraternity. He was also elected to Charter Membership in Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national police science honor society.

At the age of 18 he started his law enforcement career as the weekend jailer/dispatcher for the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office. In 1969 he was first appointed as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff and started as a part-time Police Officer for the City of Odessa. He started as a full-time Police Officer for the City of Odessa in 1970.

In 1971, the Missouri Criminal Justice Information Association was formed from an eight-county area that met monthly to discuss crimes occurring within this area. Kinder previously served as President of this Association. When this Association sponsored the formation of the Missouri Rural Major Case Squad. Kinder was a charter member and served as the Reports Officer and assisted in the investigation of over fifty homicides in this area. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Case Squad.

In 1973 Chief Kinder was appointed to fill the vacated position of City Marshal/Chief of Police and was elected to that position for the 1974-1976 term of office. In 1977 he was again appointed to the position and was re-elected in 1978 and served until 2000 when the position changed from elected to appointed. Chief Kinder was appointed as Chief of Police and served until his retirement in 2012. Chief Kinder is the longest serving City Marshal/Chief of Police in the history of Odessa.

In 1974, Chief Kinder served as a member of Region XIII Law Enforcement Council in the Show-Me Regional Planning Commission. During this time and prior to any State mandated training standards for Peace Officers, the Council provided Basic Law Enforcement Training to Officers in the region. The Council also obtained Federal grants to provide basic radio communication equipment for each Department in the region.

In 1978, Kinder served as a co-instructor to provide training to all law enforcement Officers in the local region regarding the newly adopted Missouri Criminal Code. Of the numerous law enforcement “Kinder-isms” of Chief Kinder, his favorite is: “You cannot enforce the law, if you do not know the law.”
In 1978 in addition to being City Marshal he was appointed Director to the newly created Department of Public Health and Safety. As Director of Public Health and Safety, Kinder was also responsible for the administration of the Emergency Medical Services Ambulance service. Chief Kinder was able to obtain Federal and State Grants for the purchase of a second ambulance and for manpower for the operation of the ambulance service. In 1982, Kinder completed the requirements for an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license. Chief Kinder served as Director until 2000.
Chief Kinder was instrumental in obtaining many Federal and State grants for manpower and equipment for the Odessa Police Department since the 1970s.

Chief Kinder was a former member of the Board of Directors for the former Tri-County Drug Task Force and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Lafayette County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force.
Chief Kinder was instrumental in establishing the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Officer for the Odessa School District and was a former member of the Board of Directors for the Lafayette County Youth Court.

Chief Kinder was also instrumental in obtaining a Federal COPS in School grant for the School Resource Officer for the Odessa School District.

Chief Kinder was also a member of the Missouri Child Fatality Review Team for Lafayette County.

Chief Kinder also served as the Emergency Management Director for the City of Odessa.

Upon the retirement of Lafayette County Sheriff Gene Darnell in 1989, Kinder was granted a leave of absence to be appointed the Sheriff of Lafayette County to serve until a special election could be conducted.

Chief Kinder was proudly presented the Gene Darnell Memorial Fund Excellence in Law Enforcement Award in 2007 for best demonstration of professional qualities of character and dedication to service. He was the recipient of the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal from the Truman Chapter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

During his law enforcement service to Odessa, Kinder was also a sixteen year member of the Missouri Army National Guard serving as a member of Company C, 110th Combat Engineer Battalion in Lexington. His assignments included serving as the Training Sergeant, Company Clerk, Operations Sergeant, and First Sergeant. While serving as First Sergeant, he received the Brigade Commander’s Award. Kinder currently is a member of Douthit-Specker Post 286 of the American Legion and a life-member of Odessa Post 100 of AMVETS where he is the Post Adjutant.

Chief Kinder also served as President of the Central Missouri Citizens Advisory Board for District 5 of the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole from 1998 to 2006 and as President of the Missouri River Valley CAB for District 32 of the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole from 2006-2013.

Chief Kinder previously served as Chairman of Odessa Community Betterment and accepted the Grand Prize Award for Odessa. He has also been honored as the Parade Marshal for the Annual “Puddle Jumper Days” street fair and was honored with the Martin Luther King, Jr. award from the local Black Achievement Committee.

Chief Kinder was a former member of the local service unit of the Salvation Army. He also was a charter member of the Odessa Optimist Club and a member of the Good Times Oldies Car Club of Odessa.

Chief Kinder also served as the Alternate Police Chief representative to the Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committee (RHSOC) for Region A - Rural. This committee decides the Federal Homeland Security funding priorities for projects in th