Donald Edward Greenwell Jr, passed away peacefully at home in Leawood, KS, October 4, 2020 at the age of 84. He was born in Collin, MO, on January 26, 1936. Don closely held many life experiences and traditions: fatherhood, his faith community at the Church of the Resurrection, scouting, the Leawood Lions Club, the Optimist Club, and vintage automobiles.
He is survived by Marsha Greenwell (Mann) who he married in 1981, his children Mary (Tom) Faris, Don III (Tony), Allison (Tim) Fisher, Brad (Jessica) Allen, 9 grandchildren, 2 greatgrandchildren, his sister Evelyn and brothers Ed, Kenny, and Derl (Karen). He was predeceased by his first wife Pat (Haggard) who passed over 40 years ago and his parents Don Sr. and Goldie.
Don lived a life of undefeated attitude. He was a survivor of challenges and thrived. One of his favorite stories was about playing on a Belton High School undefeated football team. He graduated in 1955, and alumni formed the “Belton High School Undefeated Attitude Athletic Scholarship” in 1994. He joined the Boy Scouts (now Scouts) in 1948, and had a strong connection with the life values and lessons learned in the days of Scouts’ leader H. Roe Bartle, Chief Lone Bear of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. His sons and grandsons all incorporated “Oak” into their tribal names, following his lead. He had great pride in his daughters and granddaughters and attended an endless stream of school events and dance recitals.
Possessing the gift of gab, no one was a stranger to him. He would talk with anyone about anything. This made him a natural-born salesman. He was the first member of his family to earn a college degree, having graduated from the University of Central Missouri in 1959. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma Kappa (now Theta Chi) fraternity. His main career was in the life insurance and annuity business with Kansas City Life Insurance Company and New York Life. He especially liked having clients who were school teachers and farmers. He spent many years talking about death and, so, he had no fear of it. He loved work – really any kind of work. He worked at the Thriftway Store in Belton and the Safeway in Warrensburg while he was in school, and he had many stories he liked to tell. On his 70th birthday, he started a job as a grocery store stocker at Cosentino’s, because he liked the nostalgia of it. Yes, he re-entered that vocation at age 70.
He was a vintage car enthusiast and could easily identify the make, model, and year of any of them. In recent times, he bought a bike, a trombone (because he played in the band as a kid) and took an art class with his amazing, caring, life partner, Marsha. He would say what a good life he had and was grateful for it. He never ever complained of health ailments or burdens.
The family will intern his ashes during a small, private ceremony at Mt. Moriah in Kansas City, MO. Concerned about a gathering with the current global health crucible, friends and family are asked to celebrate optimism and perseverance and find ways to make these traits a daily practice. Anyone wanting to make a contribution in memoriam is requested to consider the Scouts Heart of America District Council https://app.mobilecause.com/form/JR27Vw?vid=cfuld
