Longtime North Omaha educator Robert Faulkner honored with street renaming at 26th Street intersection

OMAHA, Neb. — A North Omaha street corner has become a lasting tribute to an educator whose impact will live on for generations.

The intersection of 26th Street is now also known as Robert Faulkner Way, honoring a man who dedicated 40 years to educating, coaching and mentoring Omaha's youth — including 15 years as principal of Father Flanagan High School, now Blackburn High School.

For his loved ones, the street renaming is more than a sign. It's a legacy he once joked about — now a reality his family can cherish forever.
"Prior to him passing away, he would always joke about wanting the street named after him," said Faulkner's niece, Andrea Foster.

His impact went far beyond the classroom, helping young people believe in themselves and their futures.
"He was the type of man that said, hey, if I sent you down, you better not get up. But if it wasn't for him, my son, and then probably wouldn't be graduated," a community member said.

For his family, Faulkner was more than an educator. He was a father figure and a mentor.

"My grandpa was probably the best man I've ever known," a family member said.

With his name now a permanent part of North Omaha, his family hopes others will be moved by his legacy.

"I hope that they think of hope that, um, things that have happened in your life does not mean that the trajectory or that your whole life will be bad, that there's time for you to turn around, people believe in you, um, and that people really think about Uncle Robert's legacy," Foster, said.

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