Hampton police officer memorialized with film produced by son

While going through Army basic training at the same location, Rob and Rodger Kirsopp created some cases of mistaken identity for their drill instructors.

And the brothers usually were the ones who paid the price.

“We both ended up having to do pushups together,” Rob recalled.

“For no reason, other than being a twin,” Rodger explained.

The lifetime lookalikes related quite a few similarly amusing anecdotes during interviews for “Warrior: The Rob Kirsopp Documentary,” which premiered Dec. 28 for a full auditorium at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center in Ross.

In the 100-minute film, more than three dozen family members, friends and colleagues share stories, impressions and memories of Rob, a 25-year Hampton police officer who died May 1 at age 52 after a nearly five-year battle with cancer.

Robbie Kirsopp, the eldest of his three children, directed and produced what originally was envisioned as “just something fun, something little.”

“I took this project on, and it definitely turned out to be something way bigger than I honestly could imagine,” Robbie, 21, told the Masonic Center audience prior to the screening. “We planned the entire movie in March, got everybody together, filmed the movie over two days in April. I told some of you guys in July this movie would be out, but here we are.”

Joining him onstage were siblings Ray and Rachel, and their mother, Rosalyn, who conveyed the “overwhelming feelings of gratitude that we have for the extraordinary generosity of all of you.”

“We knew the kind of person Rob was: helpful, generous, energetic, knowledgeable and love with all his heart, and that was just inside our home. We had no idea the impact he made on so many people, even with just his compassion and smiling,” she said. “And because he helped so many, you’re all paying it forward to us. And we are so forever grateful to you all.”

The film, edited by Cincinnati director-cinematographer Hunter Brockmann, employs periodic humor to balance the serious nature of the subject, allowing for audience members to laugh a bit in between their tears through the chronicling of the life of Robert James Kirsopp.

Accompanying interviews are still photographs from the 1970s forward, along with video footage that includes views of Rob and Rosalyn’s wedding and reception, and their children as youngsters. Today, Robbie is following in his dad’s footsteps as a member of the Army, and Ray and Rachel attend Hampton High School.

Coming up with a suitable title for the documentary must have been a cinch: When asked to describe Rob with one word, the answer often was “warrior.”

Rob even said that about himself:

“I think people remember me as being a warrior, a strong warrior, somebody who’s not going to give up a fight. I’ve always been willing to sit there and take on challenges. You give me a challenge, I’ll take care of it.”

His diagnosis of Stage 4 cancer in June 2019 came as a shock to him, and a particularly heart-wrenching part of the film involves his children discussing their learning about his condition.

Despite it, he continued to fulfill his police duties:

“I wanted to set an example because I knew I was strong enough to sit there and do this. I didn’t miss a day. I might switch days with an officer or something like that. But for the most part, I went to work.”

Rob’s on-screen commentary closes with a description of himself as “a strong family man.”

“If you’re just looking for one word,” he says to the interviewer, followed by an extended pause. “Nope. Nope. I’m not giving you that.”

To view “Warrior: The Rob Kirsopp Documentary,” visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3YXEne1OgY.