Robert Drexel Parman

Robert "Bob" Drexel Parman passed away on Friday, July 7, 2023. Bob was born on a farm near Grant City, Missouri on March 7, 1927. He was the youngest son of Elmer and Elma (James) Parman. Bob attended public schools in Worth County, Missouri from grades one through twelve. He attended the University of Missouri from 1947 to 1952, receiving a BA in liberal arts and a BS in medicine and obtained an MD degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1954. Bob had a general rotating internship at Kansas City General Hospital #1 from July 1954 to June 1955. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Beta Pi.

Bob entered the U.S. Navy in 1955, went through the Navy's School of Aviation Medicine, and after being a flight surgeon for 18 months, he was released from active duty. Bob was a strong advocate for children's welfare and entered a pediatric residency program at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. In January 1960 he moved to Topeka and was a beloved pediatrician until his retirement in June of 1989, routinely greeting his patients as his little princes and princesses.

A lover of indoor as well as outdoor art, Bob and his first wife Arlene contributed to Forgiven Man in the Mettner courtyard at First Congregational Church, commissioned Jim Bass to do the west wall of the Church's Memorial Garden and Jean Bass to weave two banners for the Church's back sanctuary wall. He commissioned indoor art of the bench of the girl reading to her dog in the Topeka Public Library. Bob's appreciation of art is also evidenced by his contributions to outdoor art at Brewster Place including a large granite boulder with the inscription "carpe diem," the Jim Bass sculpture at the main Brewster Place building entrance, the Inverted Arch, and a sculpture at the north entrance of the Brewster Rehab unit.

While in practice, Bob was a staff member of Stormont-Vail and St. Francis Hospitals and belonged to local, state, and national medical and pediatric societies, serving on various committees and boards related to the welfare of children. After retirement Bob sought further opportunities to support children's issues and community programs by serving on the board of TARC, a local community board of the Kansas Children's Service League, the state KCSL Board, the KCSL Foundation Board, the Topeka & Shawnee County Library Foundation Board, and enjoyed leading classroom tours at the Kansas Museum of History for several years. He was on the YMCA Foundation Board and moved to Brewster Place in January of 1992, becoming an active part of events there. Bob belonged to the Fortnightly Club and was organizer of the Wednesday Morning Coffee group.

In June of 1954 Bob married Arlene Ruth Mohler of McCune, Kansas. She died on August 8, 1996. To this union there were three children: Craig (Linda) Parman of Wichita, Kansas, Dwight (Lisa) Parman of Topeka, Kansas and Janice (Mark) Hansen of Prairie Village, Kansas; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bob married Frances "Frankie" Allen Best of Lincoln, Nebraska in October of 1997. With Frankie's marriage there are three stepchildren: Jeane (Craig) Best of Denver, NC, Paul (Melinda) Best of Portland, ME and Anne Best (Paul) Johnson of Fort Collins, CO. There are numerous grandchildren.

Bob had many accomplishments in his life – above all, he was a man of loving kindness and decency.

Bob chose cremation. A memorial ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 12th at 10:30 a.m. at First Congregational Church, 1701 SW Collins Avenue in Topeka. The family requests no flowers and suggests memorial gifts to First Congregational Church, the Brewster Place Foundation, or a charity of choice. Inurnment will be private.

Dove Cremations and Funerals Southwest Chapel is assisting the family.

To share a memory of Bob or leave a special message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.