John Stephen Chaney

John Stephen Chaney of Leavenworth, Kansas finished his final home project and went to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, September 26, 2024. He was 79.

John was born on April 3, 1945 to John and Lucretta Chaney in Santa Monica, CA. They moved to the Kansas City area when John was a baby. He was the oldest of four. A talented baseball pitcher, he was scouted by the A’s in his youth. He pole vaulted in college, drove and worked on cool cars, and excelled in math. He became a supervisor at Black & Veatch and retired after 28 years. Because he could never sit still for long, John always had side hobbies and businesses, before and after retirement. At one time or another, he and his wife Sandy ran an upholstery business, a remodeling business, a pest control business, and a classic car accessory business. He once even sold small plots of land on Mars!

John was amazingly handy and meticulous. He could fix anything, build anything, and knew everything about cars. He would typically have a project car he was working on. Most recently, he worked on his Grandpa’s 1960 Ford Fairlane. He was so clean and organized that his family joked they could eat off his garage floor. It was normal to see a dismantled engine in his garage with every piece laid out on the spotless floor. He could always put the engines back together. He was a perfectionist in everything he did.

John was funny, often unintentionally so. He wasn’t the type to tell many jokes but had mannerisms and sayings that kept things light and kept people laughing. He was good-natured and made everyone around him comfortable. He was always just himself, which gave others permission to do the same.

On September 2, 1966, John married the love of his life Sandy. They were married for 58 years and shared many adventures. They were devoted to one another and took many road trips, long and short. They lovingly raised two children, John and Laura, and went on to enjoy eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. John loved spending time with Sandy and their large, extended family. John’s family loved and respected him. They will cherish him in their hearts always and speak of him with fond remembrance.

Because he was curious and wondered if there was life on other planets, his kids have mused that he might be reassigned to a distant planet where he will make everything work better. If not, he’ll be in heaven working on cars and taking road trips while listening to Chuck Berry music full blast. He’ll of course take an occasional smoke break.

John was preceded in death by his parents, John and Lucretta Chaney. He is survived by his wife Sandy, his son John (Becky) Chaney; daughter Laura Chalk; brother Richard Chaney; sister Suzanne (Tom) Jones; brother Bob (Deborah) Chaney; eight grandchildren, Lauren Chaney (Sam Fairall); Robbie (Hannah) Chaney; Madison Chaney; Matthew Chalk; Mitchell Chalk; Emma Chalk (Luke Miller); Taylor Bell; Hayley Bell; great-granddaughter Braelyn Taylor, many cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends. He loved all of them, and they loved him right back. He was easy to love.

Services will be held on Monday, September 30, 2024 with a visitation at 9:00 a.m., and a funeral service at 10 a.m., at the Amos Family Funeral Home in Shawnee, KS. John will be laid to rest at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Kansas City, KS.