Robert "Rob" Raymond Kunze

Robert “Rob” R. Kunze, 46, of Aurora, passed away on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Polk County, Nebraska.

A Celebration of Rob’s life will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Friday, May 16, 2025, at the Monroe Evangelical Free Church – 1001 West 18th Road in Phillips. Pastor Joe Malarkey will offer words of comfort. Visitation will be held from 5-7 P.M. on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the Monroe Evangelical Church.

On Sunday, May 25, 2025, family will greet friends from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., followed by a Celebration of his Life beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in Palmer. Pastor Serene Samuel and Pastor Joe Malarkey will offer words of comfort. Graveside Services with Military Honors will follow at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Palmer. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be designated to an education fund for his children.

Jacobsen-Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home in St. Paul is assisting Rob’s family.

Robert "Rob" Raymond Kunze was born on July 6, 1978, in Grand Island, Nebraska to Ron and Linda (Starkey) Kunze. Rob grew up in Palmer and graduated from Palmer High School in 1996. After 9/11, Rob felt a calling to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Army. He was stationed at Fort Drum in New York with the 10th Mountain Division. During this time, he was sent to Afghanistan. Rob returned stateside and qualified for the "Green to Gold program," through which he graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and forged a new path as a second Lieutenant commissioned officer. Robert spent 10 years serving our country.

He became a father in 2004 with the birth of his first daughter, Kadence, who brought new purpose and joy into his life. In 2008, his heart grew even fuller when Keira joined the family. On February 25, 2017, Rob married Alison McLamb in Grand Island. He was blessed with two more children, the twins - Brexley and Jaxton - who completed his world. Each child sparkled with the essence of their father’s spirit, carrying fragments of his kindness and compassion within them. He loved his family fiercely and unconditionally.

He devoted his professional life to Dahlsten Truck Line as a dispatcher and logistics coordinator for nearly a decade. He was a kind, compassionate, and unselfish person. His faith was a cornerstone of his existence, manifesting through active participation at the Monroe Evangelical Free Church in Phillips. His hobbies included gym time with God and worshiping with friends, coaching his children’s sports activities, vacationing, and riding motorcycles. He was a member of the Burton-Beyer American Legion Club Post 120 in Palmer, Hamilton County GOP, and recently joined the Aurora Fire Department.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Alison Kunze of Aurora; children, Kadence Kunze of Hastings, Keira, Jaxton, and Brexley Kunze of Aurora; parents, Ron and Linda Kunze of Palmer; brother and sister-in-law, Brent and Carmen Kunze of Palmer; sister and brother-in-law, Amanda Kunze and Michael Muehling of Lincoln; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ronda and Charles McLamb of Wood River; brothers-in-law, Seth McLamb and Tyson McLamb, both of Wood River; nieces and nephews, Mariposa and Taylor Thonen, Eden, Oliver, and Evander Kunze; Aunt Pat Kunze, Aunt Nan Kunze, Aunt Eva Coutermarsh, and Uncle Richard Kunze.

Robert was preceded in death by his grandparents, Pat and Reinhardt Kunze, and Wilhelmenia (Minnie) Starkey.

As we gather to celebrate the life of Rob, we will forever hold his legacy close, a beacon of what it means to serve God, love unconditionally, and serve heroically.