Robert Cozad

Robert (Bob) Joseph Cozad, 86, of Arlington, Texas passed away Sunday Sept. 10, 2017. Bob was born June 26, 1931 in Independence, Kansas, to Martin and Georgia Cozad.
SERVICE: 12:00 noon Saturday, September 16, 2017 at Webb & Rodrick Funeral Home in Independence, Kansas. A light lunch will be served at noon.
MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cure Alzheimer's Fund 34 Washington Street, Suite 200 Wellesley Hills, MA 02481. curealz.org OR buy a stranger a cup of coffee and strike up a conversation.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife Nancy; his parents; his brother Jim. SURVIVORS: Bob is survived by his daughter Alison Mayhew and her husband William; his daughter Julie Kelso and her husband, Mark; his four grandchildren, Jennifer, Joshua, Ethan and Katie and three great-grandchildren, Madison, Brooklyn and Levi.
Bob served in the U.S. Airforce from January 1951 through December 1954. He was stationed on Johnston Island in Hawaii which served as the backdrop for numerous stories and wild tales throughout the years.
Bob grew up in Independence, Kansas, played football for Independence High, worked at the ice house downtown as a young man and later on for Layton Oil. He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy in 1955. They moved with their daughters, Alison and Julie to Arlington, Texas in 1966. Shortly after moving, Bob left the oil industry and began a career with Village Tole House in Arlington, Texas. Bob was very talented in crafting items out of wood for the Tole painters and was regarded as the best in the industry. Bob took a lot of pride in his work. This would eventually lead to the opening of Cozad's Gifts located in Six Flags Mall which Bob and Nancy owned until Nancy's passing in 1994.
Bob loved hunting, fishing, golf and shooting the breeze with anyone he came in contact with. If there was a coffee pot on and someone to talk to, Bob was there. He enjoyed sharing stories of his hunting escapades with his buddy Porter Clark. Bob and Porter were the best of friends and shared many a Moscow Mule reminiscing about quail, dove and turkey hunts.
He shared his love of hunting and fishing with his grandchildren. Bob made many trips to Nome, Alaska where he enjoyed outdoor adventures with his grandchildren Ethan and Katie. He loved to tell stories of Julie and Mark and their life in Alaska. It's no surprise that Bob knew the Nome locals and looked forward to catching up with them on his summer trips.
Bob also loved the sport of golf which he shared with his grandson, Joshua. These golf trips included sharing stories of his days on Johnston Island and others that we are probably better off not knowing about. When Josh was a teenager and creating his own adventures, he told his mom "I'm just trying to create stories to tell like Papa has."
Papa was dearly loved by his granddaughter Jennifer, the first of his grandchildren. Papa was always available for a trip to Braum's, Chuck E Cheese's or to the park. On take your daughter to work day, Papa took Jennifer to the horse track where he "worked" as a groomer. This was an unofficial title bestowed on him by his good friend Burr DeVault which allowed him to hang out in the stables.
Bob worked hard his entire life, but also took time to play hard. He was the neighborhood dad that took all the kids to the local swimming pool. He spend countless hours visiting gift stores with his wife to check out the latest trends. He loved his work, his friends and his family. He never met a stranger! He will be dearly missed by everyone who knew him.

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