Eugene Paul Amos

Gene Amos, 78, Shawnee, Kansas died Friday, July 24, 2009, at the Kansas City Hospice House.

Gene was born August 20, 1930, in Liberal, Kansas, the son of Edward Paul and Hazel Crane Amos. He and his sister, Paula, moved with their parents to Shawnee in the fall of 1945 to build a funeral home at 301 Main Street. The E. Paul Amos Funeral Home was open for business in May of 1946.

Gene joined the business in August of 1952 after serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.

Gene graduated from Shawnee Mission Rural High School in 1948 and in 1978 was named Distinguished Alumni. He graduated from Kansas City Missouri Jr. College in 1950 and Kansas City College of Mortuary Science in 1951. Gene earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1945 and was also in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.

Service to the community was an important part of Gene's life and that service continued on through his involvement in the following organizations: Optimist Baseball organizing the association; Optimist International as Past President and District Governor; Shawnee Historical Society serving as Charter Member and Past President. Gene and his dad along with many other Shawnee businessmen helped to build and establish Old Shawnee Town. He was on the Shawnee Elementary School Board and Shawnee Mission Unified School Board, serving as Past President of both Boards; Past President and member of the Kansas Funeral Director's Association; Past President and member of the Kansas State Board of Embalmers; one of the founding members of the Society of the Descendants of Dr. Johannes de la Montagne; member of many Family Genealogical Societies; member of St. Andrews Society; Past President and member of the Delaware Crossing Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution; Past President and Honorary Member of the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce where he received Citizen of the Year; Merriam and Lenexa Chamber of Commerce; Former Precinct Republican Committeeman; charter member of the Ancient Form Masonic Lodge; Scottish Rite Bodies; Abdallah Shrine, Beatrice Chamber, Order of the Eastern Star; Kansas House of Representatives Serving the 18th District (1987-1993); Chairman of the Shawnee Downtown Partnership; Rotary International serving as Past President of the Lenexa Rotary Club and as District Governor for District 5710 and former member of the DeSoto and Shawnee Mission Rotary Clubs; Board member of the Lakeview Village Retirement Community; former Foundation Board Member of Shawnee Mission Medical Center and Johnson County Community College; former member of Overland Park Christian Church serving as Deacon, Elder and Past Chairman; member of Merriam Christian Church serving as Past Board Chair, choir member, Elder and Chair of numerous committees. Gene has received numerous awards and recognition throughout the years.

Gene was also the author of several books: History of Kansas Funeral Directors; Ancestory from A toZ, Amos, Zoll and Related Families; and co-authored Tales of the Preacher and the Undertaker with his longtime friend, Forrest Haggard.

Gene's last project was a vision of a sculpture to recognize 50 years of Shawnee Optimist Baseball. He was working with the artist Charles Goslin and the City of Shawnee to make this vision a reality.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Margaret Zoll Amos; son, Gregg Amos (Brenda) of Shawnee; daughters, Joni Pflumm of Lenexa and Amy Ruo (John) of Shawnee; sister, Paula Ramona Upton of Topeka, Kansas; six grandchildren, Matt Pflumm (Jessica), Megan Bassman (Max), Melissa Meythaler (Jeremy), Parker Amos, Toni Ruo and Philip Ruo; one great-grandson, Nathaniel Stinemetz.

Shawnee Optimist Baseball Sculpture, P. O. Box 13430, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66282-3430

Merriam Christian Church, 9401 Johnson Drive, Merriam, Kansas 66203

Lenexa Rotary Foundation, c/o Lou Gehring, 16005 W. 80th Place, Lenexa, Kansas 66219.

Friends may call from 1:00-8:00 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2009, at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at the chapel. Burial in Shawnee Mission Memory Gardens.

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