Howard “Fergie” Ferguson
Shawnee, KS: Howard “Fergie” Ferguson, 86, passed away at his home on Saturday May 22, 2021. A visitation will be held at noon Thursday at St. Joseph Church 11311 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS followed by a Christian mass.
Howard H. Ferguson was born on March 23, 1935 in the north end of Kansas City Missouri, but to family and friends in the Shawnee community, he was always known as “Fergie”. As a proud member of the U. S. Air Force, he served in the Far East from 1953 to 1955. Following his military service, Fergie worked for the K.C. Terminal and the BNSF railroads for more than 40 years. His devotion to the labor movement and passion for helping others highly motivated him as evidenced by his position as a union representative at the United Transportation Union, tirelessly advocating for worker safety and fair wages.
Fergie was a proud Irish/Italian Democrat who actively supported and participated in multiple local, state and national political campaigns. He was passionate about his beliefs and if he was on your team, you got everything he had whether it was Shawnee city hall, the Topeka statehouse or Washington DC.
As a self-described ‘city slicker’, Fergie married his bride of 60 years, Patty Osthoff, a farm girl from Lenora, KS turned registered nurse, and the true love of his life. Howard and Pat are the proud parents of three children, Jackie (Dave) Bergman, Bryan (Elaine) and Mike (Becky). He was cherished by his six grandchildren, Megan (Garrett), Jessie, Ryan, Rachel, Eric and Andrew, and he felt fortunate that he was also able to spend these last years playing with and teasing his four great-grandchildren, Sawyer, Everett, Caleb and Jackson.
Fergie enjoyed a life-long love and enthusiasm for the game of golf and was able to hit the links until the age of 85, which made him very happy. During his retirement, he worked as a marshal at Tomahawk Hills and Swope Memorial golf courses, which kept him close to the greens even when he wasn’t playing a round with friends.
Above all, Fergie genuinely loved gatherings with friends and family, where his hearty laughter always stood out and made every story more entertaining. He had a passion for all sports and enjoyed coaching his children and grandchildren in their respective athletic activities. He appreciated authentic Italian food, classical music, a precision haircut, and tipping a few “red and whites” with friends.
Words cannot temper the pain of the loss of a husband, father, and grandfather, especially one of such impact, directly and indirectly shaping those around him. We are grateful to him and the gift that he was to all of us. Fergie lived life to the fullest--he was truly one of a kind and his departure leaves a void in our hearts. We will always miss his hearty laugh, but we take great comfort in knowing that he is finally, and forever, “peachy keen”. Contributions can be made to The Shawnee Community Center at 11110 W 67th St. Shawnee, KS 66203.
Visitation
Start Date: May 27, 2021, 12:00 pm
End Date: May 27, 2021, 1:00 pm
St. Joseph Catholic Church
11311 Johnson Dr.
Shawnee, KS 66203
Phone: 913-631-5983
Mass
Start Date: May 27, 2021, 1:00 pm
End Date: May 27, 2021, 2:00 pm
St. Joseph Catholic Church
11311 Johnson Dr.
Shawnee, KS 66203
Phone: 913-631-5983
Shawnee, KS: Howard “Fergie” Ferguson, 86, passed away at his home on Saturday May 22, 2021. A visitation will be held at noon Thursday at St. Joseph Church 11311 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS followed by a Christian mass.
Howard H. Ferguson was born on March 23, 1935 in the north end of Kansas City Missouri, but to family and friends in the Shawnee community, he was always known as “Fergie”. As a proud member of the U. S. Air Force, he served in the Far East from 1953 to 1955. Following his military service, Fergie worked for the K.C. Terminal and the BNSF railroads for more than 40 years. His devotion to the labor movement and passion for helping others highly motivated him as evidenced by his position as a union representative at the United Transportation Union, tirelessly advocating for worker safety and fair wages.
Fergie was a proud Irish/Italian Democrat who actively supported and participated in multiple local, state and national political campaigns. He was passionate about his beliefs and if he was on your team, you got everything he had whether it was Shawnee city hall, the Topeka statehouse or Washington DC.
As a self-described ‘city slicker’, Fergie married his bride of 60 years, Patty Osthoff, a farm girl from Lenora, KS turned registered nurse, and the true love of his life. Howard and Pat are the proud parents of three children, Jackie (Dave) Bergman, Bryan (Elaine) and Mike (Becky). He was cherished by his six grandchildren, Megan (Garrett), Jessie, Ryan, Rachel, Eric and Andrew, and he felt fortunate that he was also able to spend these last years playing with and teasing his four great-grandchildren, Sawyer, Everett, Caleb and Jackson.
Fergie enjoyed a life-long love and enthusiasm for the game of golf and was able to hit the links until the age of 85, which made him very happy. During his retirement, he worked as a marshal at Tomahawk Hills and Swope Memorial golf courses, which kept him close to the greens even when he wasn’t playing a round with friends.
Above all, Fergie genuinely loved gatherings with friends and family, where his hearty laughter always stood out and made every story more entertaining. He had a passion for all sports and enjoyed coaching his children and grandchildren in their respective athletic activities. He appreciated authentic Italian food, classical music, a precision haircut, and tipping a few “red and whites” with friends.
Words cannot temper the pain of the loss of a husband, father, and grandfather, especially one of such impact, directly and indirectly shaping those around him. We are grateful to him and the gift that he was to all of us. Fergie lived life to the fullest--he was truly one of a kind and his departure leaves a void in our hearts. We will always miss his hearty laugh, but we take great comfort in knowing that he is finally, and forever, “peachy keen”. Contributions can be made to The Shawnee Community Center at 11110 W 67th St. Shawnee, KS 66203.
Events
Visitation
Start Date: May 27, 2021, 12:00 pm
End Date: May 27, 2021, 1:00 pm
St. Joseph Catholic Church
11311 Johnson Dr.
Shawnee, KS 66203
Phone: 913-631-5983
Mass
Start Date: May 27, 2021, 1:00 pm
End Date: May 27, 2021, 2:00 pm
St. Joseph Catholic Church
11311 Johnson Dr.
Shawnee, KS 66203
Phone: 913-631-5983
Guestbook
Visits: 2
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