10/21/1942 – 10/28/2026
Lawrence
Dr. Robert (Bob) Lee Carnahan, 84, passed away on October 28, 2026 at the age of 84.
He was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1942 to Mary Elizabeth and Melvin Homer Carnahan. As a teenager he worked sweeping up in a local doctor’s office, and later he became a physician himself, graduating from the University of Kansas Medical School. In 1973 he married his wife Carol and together they made their home in Lawrence for over 50 years.
Dr. Bob practiced internal medicine at Watkins Health Center, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, and also worked at Vangent and General Dynamics in customer service. In later years he volunteered at the Douglas County Senior Center. He believed in healthcare for all, loved baking cakes and cookies, and was known for his uniquely stylish outfits and retro chic. He was a soul music aficionado and a fool on the dance floor. A formative moment, in 1971 he and Carol saw Ike and Tina Turner perform at Allen Fieldhouse, and his old school groove came alive with songs like “Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison, “Walk of Life” by Dire Straits, and especially “Proud Mary.”
He was a man who listened more than he spoke. He was unassuming and insightful, taught his kids not to hate, and he never said a word against anyone. His choice to pursue healing arts and his quiet commitment to a world defined by mutual respect and care has its legacy in family members’ work in health equity, public service, and education. He was loved and will be remembered.
Survivors include his beloved wife, Carol, his cherished sisters Patricia Hull (LeRoy) and Nancy Morrow (Marv), brother in-law Brian Mayers (Sharon), sister-in-law Jane Mayers, daughters Kerry (Suzanne) and Christina Harbison (Mike), son Patrick, nieces Leslie Hull (Kevin), Anne Morrow (Jan), Stacy Mayers, Jennifer Mayers, Taylor Schraad (Brome), nephews Steve Hull (Lana), John Morrow (Sinlan), Scott Morrow (Dallas), Andrew Mayers, grandchildren Eve, Cameron, Asher, Kellan, Leo, and Lillian, and a cosmos of extended family. He was preceded in death by his dear brother Michael and his brothers-in-law LeRoy Hull and Larry Mayers.
Donations in Bob’s memory may be made to the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary.
Note: The Lawrence Times is offering Lawrence and Douglas County community members space to publish remembrances of loved ones who lived in this community, free of charge. These pieces are submitted by family and friends of the deceased and not written by our staff. Photos are also provided to the publication, and some may have been altered prior to submission. Read more obituaries here.
We are honored to be able to offer this service free to community members in mourning. We believe the last thing our neighbors need in those difficult moments is another financial matter to worry about. Please support the Times to help us continue providing this service — and news access — for all.
To submit an obituary to The Lawrence Times, please fill out the form at this link. We’re sorry, but we cannot accept obituary submissions via email or other means.
Receive obituaries via email
As of May 2026, we are launching a newsletter that will include obituaries only. Obituaries will no longer appear in our daily emails. You can sign up below to receive any and all of our emails. If you already receive our daily, weekly and/or occasional emails and you want to keep receiving them, please check those boxes as well.
Please make sure you click on the button that says “Yes, subscribe me to this list” in the email you receive or you will not receive future emails. That extra step is to protect you and make sure you’re not getting emails you don’t want.
