Remembering Kit Bond 1939-2025
Christopher S. “Kit” Bond, former U.S. Senator and two-term Governor of Missouri whose life was dedicated to serving his home state, passed away on May 13, 2025, in St. Louis. He was 86 years old. Bond is remembered as a statesman, devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and a tireless advocate for Missouri.
Kit’s authenticity, wit, and deep-rooted love for Missouri defined his public and private life. He was unapologetically passionate about the state he called home, often connecting with Missourians through unexpected moments—like calling into local radio stations to discuss baseball, politics, or gardening, his familiar grin unmistakable even over the airwaves.
Respected across the political aisle, Kit was a mentor to countless Missourians pursuing public service and a beloved boss to the many who had the privilege of working with him. Despite a demanding schedule, he always made time for his “Bond Alumni” team—offering advice, sending birthday wishes, and celebrating life’s milestones with the same care and dedication that defined his career.
A devoted fan of Cardinals baseball, Chiefs football, and the Mizzou Tigers, Kit also enjoyed fishing and tending to the chestnut trees he planted by hand on the family property in Mexico, Missouri. But more than anything, Kit cherished his family—his wife Linda, son Sam, daughter-in-law Margaret, and grandchildren Ellie and Walker, who were the lights of his life.
Born in St. Louis on March 6, 1939, and raised in Mexico, Missouri, Kit was a sixth-generation Missourian. He graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 1960 and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1963, finishing first in his class. He began his legal career clerking for Chief Judge Elbert Tuttle of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, where he witnessed pivotal civil rights cases firsthand.
Kit began his four-decade public service journey in 1969 as an Assistant Attorney General under then-Attorney General John Danforth. In 1970, he was elected Missouri State Auditor. Just three years later, at age 33, he became Missouri’s 47th—and youngest—Governor, and the first Republican to hold the office since 1945.
After losing re-election in 1976, Bond famously quipped, “Experience is what you get when you expect to get something else.” Learning from defeat, he returned stronger, winning a second term in 1980. As Governor, he worked to modernize and integrate state government and end the patronage system.
Bond also became a father during his time as Governor. He often joked that leaving the hospital with his newborn son, Sam, he was given diapers and a car seat—but what he really needed was a parenting manual. He found support through the Parents as Teachers program and made it a statewide initiative in 1984. Later, as a U.S. Senator, he expanded the program nationally and internationally—an accomplishment he considered among his proudest.
Faced with a Democratic legislature and major fiscal challenges, Governor Bond embraced bipartisan cooperation. This spirit carried into his Senate career, where he helped shape key legislation, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, birth defects prevention efforts, environmental compromises on acid rain, and intelligence reforms post-9/11.
Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986—Missouri’s only Republican to flip a Democratic seat that cycle—Bond was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004. Throughout his tenure, he maintained a close connection to Missouri’s communities, believing firmly that the best ideas came from Missourians themselves, not from Washington.
Bond used his committee roles to champion Missouri priorities—securing infrastructure funding, modernizing waterway systems, and ensuring more transportation dollars returned to the state. A staunch believer in expanding U.S. global engagement, especially in Southeast Asia, he co-authored The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the Road to Global Peace with Islam in 2009.
In Washington, Kit was known for his signature smile and colorful “Kit-isms”—likening policymaking to “herding cats” or keeping “frogs in a wheelbarrow.” Amid committee hearings, legislative markups, and writing thank-you notes, he was often accompanied by his dog, Tiger—named in honor of Mizzou.
After retiring from the Senate, Bond founded Kit Bond Strategies (now KBS Group) and helped launch an endowment at the University of Missouri–Columbia. The expanded Bond International Scholars Program continues his legacy by offering study abroad opportunities for MU and UMSL students.
Kit was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Elizabeth Bond, and his brother, Arthur Bond, Jr.
Tuesday, May 20, 12:00 pm at the Capitol Rotunda, Jefferson City-Memorial service
Senator Bond will lie in state until noon Wednesday, May 21.
Thursday, May 22, 1 p.m.: Celebration of life, Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
