Robert Lester “Bob” Baldwin, 89, of Warrensburg, died Tuesday, July 12, at Country Club Care Center in Warrensburg after a long battle with cancer.

A private funeral service is scheduled for family members at a later date.
Bob was born Feb. 28, 1927, in Lyons, Nebraska, the eldest son of Glen and Bessie (Goff) Baldwin. He grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
When he was 17, Bob joined the U.S. Navy and fought in World War II. He was stationed in the Philippine Islands from 1944 to 1946.
At the end of the war, Bob received an honorable discharge from the Navy and returned to South Dakota where he attended Black Hills State Teachers College. It was there that he met the love of his life, Jean Linton. They were married June 1, 1949. He received his Bachelor of Science degree and went on to teach in South Dakota. He later earned his Master of Science degree at South Dakota State University and his Doctor of Education degree from the University of South Dakota.
In 1968, Bob moved his family to Warrensburg, where he became a founding father of the Missouri Safety Center and school bus transportation safety for the nation. He was later honored with induction into the Veterans of Safety organization. He was also a member of the United Methodist Church and Warrensburg Rotary Club.
Bob preceded his wife, Jean, in death by six hours. He is survived by his three children, Dianne Baldwin, of St. Louis; Joan Roe and husband, Bud, of Peculiar, Missouri; and Lee Baldwin and wife, Winnie, of Fulton, Missouri; his younger brother, Roland Baldwin and wife, Bebe, of Minneapolis; and two nieces, two nephews, nine grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the American Cancer Society and can be left in care of Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home.