WILMINGTON — Father Robert “Bob” Kus, a beloved priest, missionary, teacher, nurse, scholar, and servant of God’s people, died peacefully on August 28, 2026, at the age of 83. He devoted his life to learning, serving, teaching, and sharing the love of Christ with people both near and far.
Born on March 30, 1943, in Cleveland, Ohio, Father Bob was the son of Robert Kus Sr. and Florence “Pat” Kus (Foley), who sadly died from complications during childbirth. His father later married Mary Jean Kus, and together they raised a loving family. Father Bob grew up alongside his half-brother, Larry (Sally) Kus, and half-sister Chris (Bruce) Isler. He was also preceded in death by his father, Bob Sr., stepmother, Mary Jean, and half-sister, Jeanette Downey.
Father Bob knew from the time he was only four or five years old that he wanted to become a priest. As a teenager, he attended a high school seminary operated by the Maryknoll Fathers. There he developed a lifelong love of missionary work and a passion for writing and learning.
After receiving his Diploma in Nursing (RN) from Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital School of Nursing, he continued his studies and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Cleveland State University. He also earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Montana, followed by a post-doctoral M.S. in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
He then joined the faculty of the University of Iowa, where for ten years he taught psychiatric-mental health nursing and chemical dependency nursing and conducted sociological and nursing research in the United States, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary.
In 1992, Father Bob began his formal studies for the priesthood. He earned his Master of Divinity from St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana and, at the age of 55, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Raleigh in 1998.
For the next two decades, Father Bob served faithfully as a parish priest. He eventually spent 12 years as pastor of the Basilica Shrine of St. Mary, where he ministered to generations of parishioners and helped foster a deep connection between his parish and the wider Catholic community.
His first visit to Honduras rekindled the missionary spirit that had first taken root in him during his years with the Maryknoll Fathers. His love for mission grew steadily, and he eventually served as Mission Director of the Diocese of Raleigh. He also developed sister-parish relationships with communities in Uganda and Honduras, strengthening bonds of faith across continents.
When he reached the customary retirement age for priests in 2018, Father Bob chose a new beginning. He accepted the invitation of Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez to serve in the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at San Francisco de Asís, the sister parish of the Basilica Shrine of St. Mary. There, deep in the mountains of southern Honduras, he embraced what he called the “second half” of his life as a missionary priest.
His parish was anything but ordinary: 87 churches, approximately 50,000 parishioners, and 248 square miles of mountainous territory. Father Bob approached this enormous ministry not with hesitation, but with enthusiasm, wonder, humor, and joy.
He loved sharing the experience of missionary life with others. Through his Mission Priest writings, he invited people into the world he had grown to love. He wrote about the churches and people of San Francisco de Asís, healthcare projects, his retreat center, parish ministers, Catholic missionary heroes, and the Gospel readings of the week.
Fr. Bob wished to be remembered for his sense of joy and love of the people, bringing a missionary spirit to the parish, and being a champion of the underdogs of society, especially new Hispanic immigrants.
May the Lord whom he served so faithfully welcome him home, and may the people of Honduras, the Diocese of Raleigh, his former parishioners, colleagues, friends, and all whose lives he touched carry forward the missionary spirit he cherished so deeply.
Visitation and the Funeral Mass will be held at the Basilica Shrine of St. Mary, 412 Ann Street, Wilmington, NC.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 1st, at 4:00 p.m., with Very Rev. Michael Burbeck V.G. Principal Celebrant, and Fr. Ryszard W. Kołodziej, Homilist.
Rite of Committal will be at a later date, near his family in Ohio.
Following the Funeral Mass at 5:30 p.m., all are invited to gather for refreshments and fellowship in the Upper Room of the Tileston Building, located across from the Basilica, as we continue to share memories and celebrate Father Bob’s life.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Red Lantern Foundation and mailed to:
Red Lantern Foundation
1375 S. 16th Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
