Remembering John Paul “Toby” Tobin, Jr.

A Kansas City voice, a family tradition, and a friend to so many

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to John Paul “Toby” Tobin, Jr., who passed away September 5, 2026, at the age of 83.

For generations of Kansas Citians, Toby was much more than a voice on the radio. He was the familiar friend who joined you on Saturday mornings, the guy who could answer a question about your lawn, garden or home—and the person who always seemed genuinely interested in helping.

For more than four decades, Toby shared his knowledge, humor and common sense with the Kansas City community through the Toby Tobin Radio Show on KMBZ.

Toby’s story began long before he became a Kansas City radio legend.

It was a family tradition

Toby grew up in Kansas City in a family whose name was already closely connected to lawn and garden.

His grandfather and father were involved in the Tobin Seed Company, and his father, Jack Tobin, was an early Kansas City radio and television personality. Jack eventually brought Toby into the radio business, asking his son to fill in on Fridays.

As Toby later recalled, sometimes his father would decide it was a beautiful day to go fishing—and Toby would get a call telling him he was doing the radio show.

As Toby put it, he learned the radio business “by trial and error.”

Those early experiences became the foundation for a remarkable career.

Helping people was the heart of the show

Toby and his brother Mark went on to establish Tobin Lawn & Landscape in 1978. A few years later, in 1982, Toby took over the family radio program from his father.

For more than 40 years, he made helping people his mission.

Whether the question involved grass seed, garden pests, trees, flowers, plumbing, heating and cooling, home maintenance or simply trying to figure out what was going wrong in the backyard, Toby had a way of making complicated problems seem manageable.

But his greatest gift wasn’t simply knowing the answer. It was caring about the person asking the question.

Toby once described helping people as the coolest part of doing the show—and that philosophy came through every Saturday morning.

More than a radio host

Over the years, thousands of Kansas City homeowners became regular listeners. Guests became friends. Businesses became partners. And listeners became part of the extended Tobin family. People who worked with Toby often remember the same qualities: his curiosity, his generosity, his sense of humor and his willingness to encourage people to take the next step. Toby didn’t just tell people how to grow a better lawn or garden. He encouraged people to do something with what they had.
Plant something.
Fix something.
Try something new.
Take care of your home.
Take care of your family.
And, most importantly, take care of each other.

The Tobin tradition continues

Toby eventually passed the microphone to his brother, Mark Tobin, who continues the Tobin Home & Garden tradition of serving Kansas City homeowners. That tradition is bigger than a radio program. It is a family commitment that stretches back generations—a commitment to honest advice, good information, hard work and helping your neighbors.

Toby leaves behind a remarkable legacy in Kansas City, but perhaps his greatest legacy can be found in the thousands of people who can still hear his voice in their memories.
A Saturday morning in the garden.
A question about the lawn.
A project around the house.
A laugh during the radio show.
A piece of advice that stuck with you.
A friend who helped you when you needed it.

Thank you, Toby

For all of us who have been part of the Tobin Home & Garden family, there is one simple thing left to say:

Thank you, Toby.

Thank you for the years of advice.
Thank you for the laughter.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you for believing that helping people mattered.
And thank you for carrying forward a family tradition that became part of the fabric of Kansas City.
The garden will keep growing.
The lawns will keep needing attention.
The questions will keep coming.

And every Saturday morning, there will be people who remember a familiar voice telling them how to make things a little better.

John Paul “Toby” Tobin, Jr.

A son.
A brother.
A husband.
A friend.
A teacher.
A Kansas City original.
And forever a part of the Tobin Home & Garden family.

Rest in peace, Toby.