Ward Spidel

Ward Spidel, 90, of Overland Park, Kansas, died May 7, 2012, at St. Luke’s South Hospital.

A lifelong resident of the Kansas City area, Ward was born in Shawnee Mission, the only child of William and Gertrude (Elgin) Spidel.

Upon graduation from Shawnee Mission Rural in 1939, Ward worked fueling planes. After WWII he worked for Manor Bread, selling door-to-door from a horse-drawn wagon. When a barn fire wiped out the horse fleet, Ward continued his sales career at Missouri China company and then Prudential Life. In the late ’50’s, Ward joined the Gas Service Company where he managed the Commercial Installation & Service team prior to retiring in 1982.

In addition to his professional life, Ward helped create the Theater in the Park at Shawnee Mission Park through his fund raising efforts with Sertoma Club. He enjoyed cooking for crowds — whether it was chili for 200 or manning the griddle at a pancake breakfast. Having never met a stranger, Ward was a master storyteller — if you told him where you were from, he’d know someone in common and have a story to share.

He will forever be missed by his loving wife of 68 years, Loretta (Tubowich); son Tim; daughter Sandy Neumann (Neil); granddaughter Constance; nephew Jerry Brown (Danna); 8 grandnieces/nephews; and 14 great-grandnieces/nephews.

Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m., Thursday, May 10, 2012, at Church of the Nativity Catholic Church, Leawood, Kansas. Funeral service will immediatly follow at 11:00 a.m. Inurnment in Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Church of the Nativity in memory of Ward Spidel.