Robert M. Scaletta, 77, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away peacefully from complications of congestive heart failure on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at Saint Luke’s East Hospital in Lee’s Summit, MO.
Robert “Bob” Scaletta was born Jan. 19, 1949, in Watervliet, Michigan, to Michael and Anna May (Brandt) Scaletta. He grew up in Hartford, Michigan, and graduated from Hartford High School in 1967. He continued his education at Davenport College of Business in Grand Rapids. Bob built a successful career in retail sales, starting at JCPenney in Benton Harbor before joining the Gentry Shop in Stevensville as a manager.
In 1984, Bob’s new role as a regional sales manager with Shepherd Products brought him and his wife, Janice “Jan,” to Kansas City, Missouri. Following his time with Shepherd, he became a successful independent sales representative, traveling across Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Throughout his career, he formed many lifelong friendships with colleagues and customers. His sales calls always ended with one of his signature goodbyes: “Have a quality day,” or “It’s been a slice of life.”
Bob was a sports enthusiast throughout his life. He was a Kansas City Chiefs season-ticket holder for 25 years and a lifelong New York Yankees fan who also supported the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals. In college sports, he was a die-hard Michigan Wolverines fan. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of sports facts, which Jan affectionately called “useless bits of information,” or UBIs.
Running was part of Bob's daily routine. A nonconformist at heart, he tied only his running and golf shoes and left all his casual shoes untied, saying the laces "constricted his feet too much." In high school, he was known as “The Flash.” He set records in the 100-yard dash and long jump and helped set a team record in the 4x220-yard relay.
Bob took impeccable care of his cars, driving hundreds of thousands of miles throughout his sales career. His sister, Mary, recalls him washing his car under the tree in their front yard when they were growing up. As a young man, he owned a ’57 Chevy and a ’65 Pontiac GTO, inspiring a lifelong interest in attending classic and muscle car shows.
Bob’s favorite getaways were Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri and Hilton Head in South Carolina, where he played golf to his heart’s content. He also loved a good slice from Minsky’s Pizza in Kansas City. His favorite local radio station was 102.1 BOB FM, his namesake.
He and Jan attended Northwest Bible Church for many years. During that time, Romans 8:38–39 (NIV) became especially meaningful to them: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Bob is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Janice; his brothers, William (Linda) Scaletta and Randy (Cindy) Scaletta; his sister, Mary Scaletta; his brother-in-law, Jerry (Debbie) Grieser; his father-in-law, Dean Grieser; and many other family members and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Michael and Anna May Scaletta; his sister, Michele Scaletta; and his mother-in-law, Betty Grieser.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Cremation Society of Kansas & Missouri. A gathering for family and friends will be held in Michigan at a future date. Until then, his loved ones are grateful for the “slice of life” they shared with Bob this side of heaven.
Memorial donations may be made to the following organizations:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105
www.stjude.org/give
Saint Luke’s Foundation Mid America Heart Institute
901 E. 104th St. #100S, Kansas City, MO 64131
www.saintlukeskc.org/giving/saint-lukes-foundation
