Former Glenview Community Church Associate Pastor Rev. Robert Warskow, 1932-2022
The Rev. Robert Warskow, 89, associate pastor emeritus of Glenview Community Church, died the morning of Sept. 14 at Glenbrook Hospital.
Rev. "Bob" served at the church from 1970-95 under the tenure of three senior pastors: Kenneth Nye, Robert Alward and Douglass Runnels.
"He was a very unassuming man. He was not a pompous man, he was very down to earth. He was pretty much a shepherd," said one of Warskow's three children, Susan Schroll of Glenview.
Born in Hartford, Michigan, on Oct. 10, 1932, Warskow attended Elmhurst College and Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.
He was ordained on June 23, 1957, into the United Church of Christ. Warskow served in churches in Bippus, Indiana, and St. Charles, Missouri, as well as at Glenview Community.
Born the second of twin boys, Warskow was the fifth and last child born to Carl and Talitha Warskow.
He and his wife, the former Kathlyn Clavey, were married on Sept. 10, 1955, and were together for 67 years. Kathlyn, known as Kay, and the reverend lived in Glenview near Flick Park.
Schroll recalled that her parents served as chaperones on trips, often overseas, with Glenview Community Church's children's choir, the 90-strong Singing Stones. Joining them would be another Glenview couple, the late Ron and Sally Clonts. They were married on the same day as the Warskows.
"Anyone who was in the choir at that time knew him as 'Papa Bob,'" Schroll said.
The family recalled Warskow's love of travel, reading mystery novels, spending time with family and friends, his activities with the Kiwanis, and his love of golf.
"He called the Chick Evans Golf Course (in Morton Grove) his private club," Schroll said. "He would always golf with a bunch of Bobs. They were all named Bob, so it was probably hard to tell who was up next."
The family also emphasized Warskow's everlasting love for his wife.
Along with Kay, Rev. Warskow is survived by children Susan (Scott) Schroll, Lynn (Ken) May, and Richard (Mary Jo). He had seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, Jacob Pyle.
Services will be held at Glenview Community Church at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24.
Memorials may be sent to the church, 1000 Elm St., Glenview, IL 60025.
"He was my dad," Schroll said, "but he was a dad to many."