Robert (Bob) L. Rebori, 91, Shawnee, Ks passed away Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at home. Visitation will be Thursday, October 22, 4 – 6 pm at Porter’s Funeral Home, Lenexa, KS. The Funeral Mass will be at 10 am Friday, October 23, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Shawnee, KS. Graveside services will be at 3:00 pm Friday October 23, at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, KS.
Bob was born April 1, 1935 in Brooklyn, NY, the only son of Anthony and Mary (Bacigalupi) Rebori.
Bob graduated from St. Michael’s High School, Brooklyn, NY. He received his undergraduate degree from Seton Hall University where he was a member of the Army ROTC. He later received a master’s degree in economics from NYU while serving in the U.S. Army Reserves and working at M. W. Kellogg Co. which later merged with Brown & Root and is now known as KBR, Inc. After finishing his graduate degree he joined Graver Water, an Ecodyne Company, now known as Marmon Industrial Water in Warren, NJ and in 1978 was transferred to Smith & Loveless, Inc another Ecodyne Company as president. In 1980 he led a management buyout of Smith & Loveless, and later became sole owner. Bob served as the president of Smith & Loveless and it’s subsidiaries until 2009 when, after thirty years he retired and his son Frank Rebori took leadership and ownership. Bob also started Bio-Microbics, Inc., which another son, Robert J. Rebori is president and owner.
Bob was an industry leader, serving as president of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association, was instrumental in starting an insurance company for water and wastewater equipment manufacturers, and advocating for the industry at the federal level . He also assisted other manufacturers in the industry with their own management buyouts and served on their boards. He was well respected within the industry for his business acumen and finance knowledge and was known by the employees of Smith & Loveless as a firm but caring and generous man who always had an open door policy and time to talk with anyone.
While Bob was incredibly successful in his professional life, his true joy was his family. He loved to travel with his wife Isabel and the entire family on summer vacations. He and Isabel also traveled extensively, making it to 6 of the 7 continents. He was a wonderful story teller sharing travel experiences, his life growing up in Brooklyn, New York and his time in the Army reserves. One of his greatest pleasures in life when the grandkids were growing up was cooking pancakes for them after Sunday Mass ---with lots of bacon on the side!
He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Isabel and his sister-in-laws Angela Cordaro and Rose McFadden, brother-in-laws Mike Cordaro and Dr. Angelo Lopano. He is survived by his three sons, Bob J. (Elaine), Tom (Gary) and Frank (Lanette) and five grandchildren Robert, Joseph, Peter, Amanda and Ryan, brother-in-laws John Lopano and Arthur McFadden and sister-in-law Amelia Lopano as well as many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews, along with honorary daughter Jodel Wickham and grandchildren Caitlin and Harrison Chen.
He will be greatly missed.