Obituary of Robert T. Kilpatrick

Pavilion ~ Robert T. Kilpatrick, age 94, of South Street Road, passed away at home Tuesday evening (Sept. 10, 2024) under the loving care of his daughter and son-in-law.

     He was born November 18, 1929 in Buffalo, NY, the son of the late Robert A. and Mary Margaret (Hernon) Kilpatrick.  He graduated from Jamestown (NY) High School in 1948 and for several years worked as a reporter for the Jamestown (NY) Post Journal.  In 1956, he graduated from SUNY at Fredonia, which led to a 36 year involvement in education.  First as a classroom teacher in the Lancaster (NY) School District and for 22 years as Business Administrator at Royalton-Hartland Central School in Middleport (NY).  In 1966 he received an Educational Masters Degree from the University of Buffalo.

     In 1955, Bob married Mary Helen Rutherford at St. Joseph’s Church, Fredonia, NY and in July of 2014, they celebrated their 59^th wedding anniversary.  In July 1992, he retired and later in the summer of 2002, they built a retirement home in the Pavilion-LeRoy area.  Over the years, he and his wife did extensive research on family histories of both the Kilpatrick and Rutherford families.

     During their life together, they found time to restore a 250 year old stone house in Middleport.  They also traveled to Italy, Alaska, the Amazon River area of Brazil, the Hawaiian Islands and the Caribbean Sea Islands.  For many years an annual visit was made to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Mary Helen passed away on December 30, 2014 after a long illness.

     Bob was a member of the Middleport, NY Rotary Club for 31 years.  During that period he served as president twice and was honored with the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.

     Bob is survived by his four children; Margaret Mary (Douglas) Thater of Pavilion, Kathryn Anne (Laurence) Symenow of Winchester, VA, Geoffrey Robert (Catherine) Lewis of Denver, CO and Dion Andrew (Lisa) Lewis of Amherst, NH.  These three were raised by the Kilpatricks upon the sudden death of their parents, Gordon and Mary Elizabeth (Kilpatrick) Lewis in an automobile accident.  Also surviving are ten grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and a cousin, Lucille Elizabeth Kilpatrick of Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario.

     In addition to his wife and sister, Bob, was predeceased by a grandson, Aaron.

     Family and friends are invited to attend Bob’s Rite of Christian Burial on Saturday, October 5 at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Mercy Parish, St. Peter’s Church, 44 Lake Street, LeRoy. 

     In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to VNA of Western NY, 7070 Telephone Road, Pavilion, N.Y. 14525.