Tom Harper: Community to gather in ‘precious love’ to celebrate the life of Rob Blank (Column)

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If you ever lived in Lawrence, you probably knew Rob Blank or at the very least saw him around. One of our eccentric townies who lived in Lawrence his entire life, Rob would often be downtown walking at a measured pace, holding both hands up making the peace symbol while enthusiastically declaring, “PEACE.”

Rob lived a full and complex life. He died at age 65 on Jan. 8.

Shortly after Rob passed, his family converged in Lawrence, visiting La Prima Tazza, one of Rob’s favorite downtown businesses. Manager Paige Stegman welcomed them. She, along with all the baristas, knew Rob, enjoying his good days and offering support during his challenging days. 

The family was touched by the outpouring of support and memories that were shared of Rob on social media after his passing. 

John Clayton / Contributed photo Rob Blank

“We all felt the community could benefit by gathering in person to remember Uncle Rob. We treasured every post we read online,” said Kimberly Carter, Rob’s niece, who lives in Texas.

Stegman suggested Liberty Hall as a possible venue to host a celebration of life for Rob, and the entire family embraced the suggestion.

The gathering will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 20 in the main hall at 644 Massachusetts St.

Carter asked Jeff Burkhead, a lifelong friend of Rob and member of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center team, to help organize the gathering. 

“After Rob passed, I had so many people ask if there would be a celebration of life for him. For many of us, we welcomed the opportunity to celebrate this unique individual who was such an iconic fixture in our community for decades,” Burkhead said. 

Contributed photo Jeff Burkhead (left) and Rob Blank

“Even on his darkest days, which everyone could recognize, he remained unmistakably himself,” Burkhead continued. “He could be misunderstood and could often seem like a misfit, but he was also sweet, kind, generous and inspiring. Rob embodied all these qualities, and we loved him even during his difficult moments.”

There will be a slideshow prepared by the family with never-before-seen photos, and an open mic on stage for everyone to share stories and reflections about Rob, the “Peace Man” and “Precious Love.”

Rob truly earned this moniker. You might say it was his work to spread peace in Lawrence. Perhaps this gesture also helped him cope with his own inner conflicts.

“He was such a character. He’d write his own poems, memorize them and recite them to us,” Stegman recalled fondly. “He just wanted someone to talk to and engage with him. I could talk with him all day.” 

Sometimes Rob would surprise the baristas with flowers.

“He’d actually pull them out from the city planters, root ball and all, and present them to us on the counter,” Stegman said. 

Carter has many fond childhood memories of Rob from when they visited from Texas. 

“We were able to connect in a special way. I felt safe with him. He taught me to paint,” she said. “He was always in awe of me and so proud. I adored my Uncle Rob. Some of my fondest memories were with him on Owens Lane when we visited Grandma and Papa.”

Rob was an artist. He painted thousands of works of art during his life. His devoted mother, Elaine, was constantly purchasing paint supplies for him. 

John Clayton / Contributed photo

If you have a painting by Rob you would like to bring to the life celebration, please do so. If you have any photos of Rob that can be used in the slideshow, please forward them to tomharper@stephensre.com.

The family hopes to work with the City of Lawrence to create a small memorial for Rob downtown. Donations will be accepted for this initiative at the celebration.

The gathering will be an opportunity for everyone to remember and share stories that illustrate what made Rob, Rob — his moments of positive tender expressions of “precious love,” and unpredictable expressions of whatever was vexing him.

An Afternoon of Precious Love

Celebrate the life of Rob Blank from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 20 at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St. in downtown Lawrence.

Open mic begins at 2 p.m.

Email photos for a slideshow to Tom Harper at tomharper@stephensre.com.

The family would like to thank Bert Nash, the numerous local social service agencies, and the people of Lawrence for providing Rob a supportive place to live a full life, independently.

And so, they invite the community to celebrate the life of Rob Blank next month.

The open mic session will begin at 2 p.m., and the Liberty Hall concession stand will be open throughout the gathering.

A special thank-you to local photographer John Clayton for sharing photos of Rob he took in 2019 in his home. Everyone in attendance will receive a free photograph of Rob, a keepsake for us to remember his desire to spread peace and precious love.

Finally, we are grateful to the Blank family for this opportunity to celebrate Rob and his full life as a member of our community. 

In closing, may we all practice kindness daily, and wish Rob “PEACE.” 

About the writer

Tom Harper is a Realtor at Stephens Real Estate helping people in Lawrence and Douglas County buy and sell real estate. He is the founder of Lawrence Modern, a group whose mission is to raise awareness of midcentury and modern architecture. You will find him posting frequently on Instagram under @lawrencemodern, sharing his daily observations of his favorite place on earth: Lawrence, Kansas. Read more of Tom’s writing for The Lawrence Times here.

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Tom Harper: Community to gather in ‘precious love’ to celebrate the life of Rob Blank (Column)

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The family of Rob Blank — “Peace Man” and “Precious Love” — wants to thank the Lawrence community for the love and support it gave Rob throughout his life. They’re planning a gathering in his memory next month, Tom Harper writes in this column.

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