Robert Kiolbassa, longtime CEO of San Antonio sausage company, dies at 84
Robert Kiolbassa, who was general manager, president and CEO of Kiolbassa Smoked Meats for 61 years, died at the age of 84.
The family announced his death on the company’s Facebook page, saying he died peacefully at his home surrounded by his family. Robert started with company at the age of 21 when his father, founder Rufus Kiolbassa, was still head of the company.
Kiolbassa Smoked Meats was founded as Kiolbassa Provision Company in 1949 on San Antonio’s Westside. Today, its various sausages are used in many San Antonio family barbecues.
Robert left St. Mary’s University to take over the company when his father died from brain cancer in 1960 at the age of 45. He started most of his days at 5 a.m., and that was even after going to the Kiolbassa plant in the middle of the night to take sausage out of the smokehouse. Robert would do almost everything from sweeping the floors to being the company’s maintenance man.
During that time, Robert introduced several new items such as dry-cured bacon and smoked hams, and he expanded into cattle and hog processing, according to the post. Robert held the title of CEO up until the day of his death.
He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1954 but left St. Mary’s University just shy of his graduation, according to his obituary. Robert was an engineer without an engineering degree while worked for the company. St. Mary’s University eventually awarded Robert the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003, and then gave him an Honorary Doctor of Commerce degree in May 2021.
His son Michael Kiolbassa joined the company in 1999 as president, a title he still holds to this day. Robert is survived by his wife Linda, his children Kathy, Michael, Julie and Amy, and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
