Captain Robert “Bobby” Rocha will long be remembered by those who knew him. May his example raise the bar on how we treat others and life.

His career included time working for various manufacturing facilities and driving for Yellow Freight before he was accepted by the Kansas City (Missouri) Fire Department as a cadet. He was among the first who also had to qualify as an emergency medical technician. He soon grew to love his job, both because of the excitement of fighting fires, and because of his great compassion for those in need. His outlook and perspective on life were profoundly altered as he entered the world of first responders. His career path took him to the position of captain on May 5, 2013.

Achievements can be categorized and dated. However, it would be shortsighted and negligent to create such a list. Captain Rocha, Bobby Rocha, impacted lives on and off duty. He would visit patients he took to the hospital because of his love of people, true love. He was a great friend and had literally thousands of friends across the country. His friends would sacrifice themselves for Bobby because they knew, they know, that he would do the same. No cost was too great.

Captain Rocha’s hobbies were a big part of his life. He began riding motorcycles at about 12 years old. It began a life of hundreds of thousands of miles on two wheels. Many friends were made because of his two-wheeled life. Another of his great loves was music. He would sing, loved to sing the songs he loved at karaoke, and was one of the best. He sang as he lived, from his heart and soul.