Robert Rowe Hurst, Ph.D., 85

Robert Rowe Hurst, Ph.D., 85, of Columbia passed away on Sunday June 11, 2023, at the Lenoir Woods Assisted Living Center.

A visitation (10 a.m.–11 a.m.) and a Celebration of Life (11 a.m.) will be held at the Memorial Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday June 15, 2023. Bob loved sharing his homemade ice cream skills with all, so Bob and his family invite all Columbia friends and the Lenoir Community to an Ice Cream Social in his honor at the Lenoir Community Center from 2 p.m.–3 p.m., also on Thursday June 15th.

Bob is survived by his children: Debra Allyn Hurst of Columbia, MO; William Rowe Hurst (Honey) of Jonesboro, AR; and David Robert Hurst (Keith Meritz) of New York City, NY, and his stepchildren Greg Heifner (Debbie) of Columbia, MO and Shelley Heifner Lee (Mark) of Independence, MO. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Kathrine Kay Hurst, Benton, AR; Adam Rowe Hurst (Mallory) of Jonesboro, AR; Sarah Allyn Hurst Stuart (Zach) of Benton, AR; Lauren Lee Jennings (Adam) of Lee’s Summit, MO; Rebecca Lee Roberts (Isaac) of Independence, MO and Johnathan Heifner of Columbia, MO. He is also survived by great-grandchildren: Margaret Kay, Eleanor Rowe, Henry Hayes and Janeanne Hurst of Jonesboro, AR; William Herb and Charlotte Alynn Stuart of Benton, AR.; Jack Wilder and James Beaumont Jennings of Lee’s Summit, MO., and Josephine Scout Roberts of Independence, MO. Lastly, Bob is survived by his dear friend, Dixie Spivey Brown of Clermont, FL, who was a sister to him his entire life.

Bob was preceded in death by his first wife, Kay Simons Hurst in 1974, and his second wife, Peggy Heifner Hurst in 2015. An inurnment alongside both Kay and Peggy will be private for the family at a later date.

Bob was born August 17, 1937, to Bernice (Rowe) and Wayne Hurst in Washington, Iowa. He grew up an only child in Keota County on his family’s farm with his mother and grandparents. After his grandfather passed, his mother and grandmother moved to North English, Iowa, where Bernice taught high school English and where Bob was a scholar and a multi-sport athlete. Graduating in 1955, he attended Grinnell College where he played in a dance band with Herbie Hancock. It was also at Grinnell where he met his wife Kay Joann Simons in choir, and they were married in 1958. They moved to State College, PA, where Bob obtained his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate in Physics in 1964 from Penn State University. They returned to the Midwest in 1964 when Bob was hired as an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Missouri - Columbia. He taught Physics and Computer Programming for over 20 years and performed research at UMC’s Nuclear Reactor. In 1974 he began consulting at Boone County Hospital as a medical physicist. He eventually retired from Mizzou and worked full time for Boone Hospital. He worked with the Radiation Therapy, Bio Med Department and Radiology Departments as well as being instrumental in Boone Hospital’s TeleMed Program. He retired from Boone in 2008 after managing the Radiology department for many years.

Bob was an avid Mizzou Tigers fan and had basketball and football season tickets for many, many years. Bob and Peggy loved to tailgate with friends and family. Bob also served on the University of Missouri’s Intercollegiate Athletic Committee as both member and Chairman, and luckily enjoyed bowl games with the Tigers. An avid coin collector, fisherman and golfer with numerous stories to entertain all, Bob and Peggy travelled after retirement playing golf and cards with friends; they also enjoyed attending grandchildren’s sporting and music events. After Bob and Peggy made the decision to move to the Lenoir community, they made new friends and even after Peggy passed, Bob has continued to love his Bridge community and the Thursday Morning Breakfast Club. Lastly, Bob was a member of the First Presbyterian Church since moving to Columbia where he served as a Deacon and an Elder, as well as singing in the choir which brought him much joy.

There are numerous friends who also share in the family’s loss of Bob and their kindness and caring is greatly appreciated by his family. In lieu of flowers, Bob’s family requests any donations be made to Lenoir (LLS Foundation, Benevolent Fund) in care of Memorial Funeral Home. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com for the Hurst family.