When I profiled Bob Mitchell in Connection Magazine in 2016, he delivered one of the most memorable quotes I’ve heard from a newspaperman.

As we wrapped up the interview at his home in Cassville, my final question was, “Would you have done anything differently?”

“I’ve got no remorse about anything,” he said resolutely. “If I stepped on any toes back then, I’d step on them again.”

Anyone who knows Bob knows he most certainly stepped on some toes in his 42 years as editor of the Democrat. And I’m sure many of those individuals stepped on his right back.

Living in Kansas City in the last couple years, Bob’s health had been declining, and his beloved wife, Sue, passed earlier this year. Surrounded by his children, Bob passed on Nov. 7.

I can’t recall the very first time I met Bob, but I do remember being warned about his plodding feet. Bob was boisterous and opinionated, and if something needed to be said, he said it — point blank.

I found myself on the receiving end Bob’s honesty a handful of times.

He would call every couple months when I first arrived, offering news tips of things he’d heard happening in town. He never failed to inform me of any railroad-related news he’d heard from Herschel Stehlik, and though he did not always approve of my editorial decision to chase or not chase a story, he always conveyed a colleague’s respect for me.

At times, his brute honesty served as a source of motivation. When Jordan and I called him last year to tell him we were buying the paper — returning it to a family-owned operation for the first time since 2004’s sale by Mike and Lisa Schlichtman — his final comment bored into my head.

“I hope you put some more news in it,” he said.

I was surprised at his insinuation, and at first, I couldn’t believe he actually said that to my face. I was putting news in the paper.

Chalking it up to Bob’s frankness, I shed being slightly offended and thought, maybe he has a point, and I set my sights to do better.

Though I never worked with him personally, Bob’s life and accomplishments have always been an inspiration. I was thankful to him for his service in the U.S. Navy, especially his coverage of the Dec. 24, 1950, at the Hungnam evacuation. and I wanted to emulate his commitment to the community.

Bob had an opportunity through the Navy to be stationed in Paris, but he declined, choosing instead to return home and continue his family’s four-generation newspaper and to make a difference in Cassville.

Despite his toe-stepping, Bob was an effective community leader. Through the IDC he brought countless manufacturing jobs to Cassville. If you have ever worked at FASCO, Jumping Jacks or Justin Boot, you have Bob to thank for that.

Bob also played a big hand in community development and support. If you have ever played golf at the Cassville Golf Club, you have Bob to thank for the course being built.

If you have been a recipient or know a recipient of the Little Joe Scholarship Fund, you have Bob to thank for that.

There is not the time or space to properly recognize all of Bob’s accomplishments in this column, which is why I followed his lead and reached out for help.

Bob stressed being generous with your time and getting others involved in community goals. To honor that mantra, one of the first things I did last week was reach out to former Publisher Jacob Brower, our former Office Manager Darlene Wierman who worked with Bob for 25 years, and former Democrat Owner Lisa Schlichtman, to whom Bob sold the Democrat after four generations of Ray-Mitchell family ownership.

In his spirit, they all eagerly agreed to contribute, each with a column, and Jacob additionally with this week’s 1A page design, modeled after the 1953 design the Democrat had when Bob started his career.

That inclusion and community effort is in Bob’s memory, the way he would have wanted it in my opinion.

Bob had newspaper ink running through his veins, exemplified by his life and his death. The timing of the latter could not have been more poetic. Not only did Bob pass surrounded by his children, who filled his life with pride, he did so on the Democrat’s deadline day, on a national election day (though we did not have any locally), and on the week of Veterans Day.

Many people have had an impact on my career, and though our interactions were relatively infrequent, I continue to draw inspiration from his career as a family man and community leader.

Put in his way of frankness, Cassville would not be what it is today without the likes of Bob Mitchell.

Whether he was your best friend or he bludgeoned your toes, Bob’s primary focus was progress. When you look at his life as a whole, there’s no denying that’s a goal he achieved.

It’s a legacy I hope to follow.

Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and became Publisher in 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE in 2022. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.