Category: Obituaries

James Steven (Jim) Hamilton

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Celebration of Life Services for James Steven (Jim) Hamilton, 67, Overbrook, will take place at the family Home from 12-2 pm, Saturday, May 13, 2023, ask family for directions.

Jim passed away December 4, 2022, at his home in rural Douglas County.

Born December 4, 1955 in Durango, Colorado to Orval Arthur Hamilton and Mildred Ceylon (Lovett) Hamilton, Jim had a lifelong love of being outside, growing things and eating and sharing the fruits of his labors.  He was able to fix everything, which made him quite a legend in his job of avionics calibration and repair.

He leaves behind his wife of 36 years, Margaret D. Hamilton, of the home, sons Daniel Hamilton and his wife Jen, Steven Hamilton, daughter Andrea Westgate and her husband Matt, four grand children, Jayden and Paighton Westgate and Della and Eli Hamilton.  He also leaves behind an extended group of family and friends.

John Odle (Jack) Leatherman

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Jack Leatherman, 89, died on May 2, 2023 at Neuvant House of Lawrence, Kansas.

Jack was born on April 28, 1934, in Junction City, Kansas to Homer Earl Leatherman and Veva Odle Leatherman. He was raised in Chapman, Kansas, and graduated from Dickinson County High School, now known as Chapman High School. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1959 where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. He married Lois Hudson on June 11, 1961, in Ellsworth, Kansas.

Jack was a lifetime loyal Jayhawk fan and a season ticket holder in both football and basketball for over 60 years and seldom missed a game. He was a member of the KU Alumni Association, Williams Fund, Chancellor’s Club, the Limestone Society, past president of the KU Quarterback Club, and the Round Ball Club. He served on the board of several charitable organizations and served as Trustee, Treasurer, and on the Pastor Nominating Committee of First Presbyterian Church in Lawrence, KS. He was also a long-time member of the Lawrence Country Club where he served on the Board and greatly enjoyed his golf group.

In his early adult life, Jack taught and coached at his hometown school and managed the Mercantile, his family’s grocery store. Jack and Lois moved to Lawrence in the fall of 1969. For 28 years he was in the retail grocery business, serving for 18 years as Store Director for Falley’s Food 4 Less in Lawrence and for 10 years as Vice President/Director of Operations for the group of 44 Falley/Food 4 Less Stores.

For everyone who knew Jack, they knew his daughter Tori, an only child, was the light of his life. Jack loved his daughter dearly. Throughout Tori’s school years, he rarely missed a rehearsal, performance, or athletic event. When Tori ran cross country and track in high school, Jack would coach and train Tori, frequently giving himself two-three mile head starts, and Tori would still catch him.

Jack also loved his grandchildren dearly. Though his grandchildren lived out of state in Tucson, Arizona for much of his life, he and Lois frequently attended their sporting events and made it a point to attend their graduations from junior high, high school, and college. Regrettably, “Poppy,” as he was so affectionately known by his grandchildren, did not live to see his “favorite” granddaughter graduate from Free State, nor the marriage of his engaged first
grandson, Connor.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by Lois, his wife of 61 years, his daughter Tori McCoy (Kelly) of Lawrence, four grandchildren, Connor (Emily) of Pittsburgh, PA, Carson of Tempe, AZ, Cooper and Alina of Lawrence, his sister, Suzanne, of Albuquerque, NM, and 8 nieces and nephews.

Celebration of Life will be at 2pm on Monday, May 8th at First Presbyterian Church in Lawrence. Burial will be at Indian Hills Cemetery in Chapman, Kansas on Sunday, May 7th at 3pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the First Presbyterian Church, Lawrence Humane Society, or the charity of the donor’s choice.

Betty J. McArdle

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Betty J. McArdle, 75, passed away at her home in Lawrence, KS, surrounded by family on December 15, 2022.  Graveside Services will be held at 11:30AM on Saturday May 20, 2023, at the St Boniface Catholic Cemetery, 32314 NE Norton Rd, Garnett, KS 66032.

Betty was born May 24,1947, in Garnett, KS, the daughter of Fred and Hilda Pickert. She graduated from Garnett High School in 1965, she married John McArdle December 10, 1966. Since 1998 she has lived in Lawrence, KS where she worked as a secretary for KU Endowment.

Survivors include her husband of the home John McArdle, a daughter Terri Atwood of Lawrence, Kansas, a son Brian McArdle of Shawnee, Kansas, a sister Rosalie Waner of Lawrence, Kansas, two brothers Gerald Pickert and his wife Carol of Richmond, Kansas, Leon Pickert and his wife Lynn of Lawrence, Kansas, two grandchildren Megan Atwood and Adrianna High, three great grandchildren along with many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials in Betty’s name to Douglas County Visiting Nurses.

Mary Christina ‘Tina’ Gorup

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Mary Christina “Tina” Gorup, 71, of Morgan’s Point Resort, Texas passed away Jan. 3, 2023 in her home of natural causes. She was born Oct. 12, 1951 in Wichita, Kansas, the daughter of Mary and John Laughlin Jr. She graduated from Eudora High School in 1969. She received a BS in Biology from Kansas State University, a MA in Healthcare Education from Central Michigan, and a MPH from the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas.

Tina trained professionally as a medical technologist and was board certified in hematology. She worked in various clinics and hospitals in the Midwest, Sedona, Arizona, and at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. She retired from Baylor Scott White Health in 2020. While living in the Lawrence area, she was an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church and served on the altar guild. Tina admired her many relatives who were in the U. S. Armed Forces. Tina’s parents were World War II veterans. Her father was an infantry combat Army medic and was in the Battle of the Bulge. Her mother served in the Navy and was stationed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Tina’s adventurous and generous spirit will be missed by all who knew her. She enjoyed living in the Texas hill country and taking trips to Europe and the ocean with family and friends.

Tina is survived by her sister, Melissa Dardis and brother-in-law, Mark of Phoenix, Arizona. Tina is preceded in death by her parents, Mary and John Laughlin Jr. and a nephew, Brennan Dardis.

A memorial service for Tina will be at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at Trinity Episcopal Church, Lawrence, Kansas. A reception will follow in the parish hall. A private graveside service will be held at the Eudora cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in Tina’s name to ASPCA of New York, New York or Silent Unity of Unity Village, Missouri. Memorial contributions can be sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1260, Lawrence, Kansas 66044.

Laura Jean (Curran) Warner

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Laura Jean Warner passed away in her sleep on Friday, April 21st, 2023, surrounded by family at age 62.

She had very little suffering from the cancer that was found far too late. Laura was born March 4th, 1961 in her beloved town of Lawrence. She graduated from Perry-Lecompton High School in 1979, followed by a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Washburn University.

The oldest of five siblings, Laura is preceded in death by her father, Donald “Don” Curran, and survived by her mother, Sharon (Houk) Curran. She is also survived by her son, Nathan (Hannah) Warner of Waukee, IA, her sister Christy Curran of Lawrence, her three brothers Randy (Becky) Curran of
Carbondale, KS, Jeff (Joyce) Curran of Brainard, MN, and Don Curran II, of Lawrence, grandson Edison Warner of Waukee, IA as well as more cousins and extended family than anyone could possibly keep track of. Yet she still managed to love every one of us completely.

On her birthday in 1985, Mom had me. As the most loving, accepting, kind, and entertaining person I have ever known, it’s not surprising that she took to motherhood the way she did everything else: completely, and in her own way. Whether standing her ground against local hate groups in the 90’s, taking a scout troop on week-long backpacking and canoe trips, or completely decked out in crimson and blue, cheering for the Jayhawks at Henry T’s, Laura was anything but boring. I’m so proud to have had her as a mom.

A few years after college, she found her home in the Finance Department of the City of Lawrence where she would retire 28 years later. The fierce friendships she made here were some of her most cherished. A highlight of her retirement was her monthly luncheons with her fellow city retirees. Frankly, it’s hard to think of these extraordinary women as anything less than a second family.

Laura was insistent on foregoing a funeral service. Instead, the family will be holding a celebration of life for friends and family in Lawrence at a later date.

Online condolences may be sent at www.rumsey-yost.com

Coralee (Corky) Marshall Ramsay Caillouet

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Services for Coralee (Corky) Marshall Ramsay Caillouet will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, at First United Methodist Church 946 Vermont St. Lawrence, Kansas 66044. Burial will be in Johnson, Kansas, at a later date.

Corky Caillouet, 83, died on Monday, April 24, 2023. She was born on March 31, 1940, in Newton, Kansas, to John Edward and Edith (Walton) Marshall. She spent most of her childhood in Anthony, Kansas, graduating from Anthony High School in 1958. She graduated from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.

Corky married Curtis A. Ramsay on August 5, 1962, in Anthony, and they moved to their farm in Johnson, Kansas, where Corky for many years continued a life of service to her family, her church, her community, and the world at large. Curtis died in 1989.

Corky married Don R. Caillouet in 1997 and they moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where they lived until Don’s death in 2016 . During her time in Lawrence, Corky was very active at First United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir and participated in numerous other church groups and activities. She also sang in the Lawrence Women’s Chorale. She affected many people’s lives for the better through her work as a social worker at Brandon Woods, and she loved participating in her grandchildren’s lives.

Corky spent her life in kindness. For everyone with whom she interacted, from sales clerk to senator, she had a smile and a kind and encouraging word, making sure she was brightening the world one life at a time. Corky was active throughout her life in groups such as United Methodist Women and Kansas State Farm Bureau, and she accomplished many things in a wide variety of arenas. When Marylee and Keri were very young, Corky was instrumental in bringing Sesame Street to public television in western Kansas. She traveled to Africa as part of a group to promote the TARA (Trade Alternative Reform Action) Project through the United Methodist Church, and she served for many years on the board at United Methodist Youthville in Newton. She also testified before the U.S. Congress during the farm crisis in the 1980’s. In Johnson, Kansas, she served as a District Magistrate Judge pro tem, and she was chosen as the Farm Bureau Queen for the state of Kansas in 1970.

Surviving Corky are her children and step-children: Marylee Ramsay of Wichita, Kansas, Keri Griffin of Lawrence, Dawn (Randy) Smith, Donnie Caillouet, and JaQue (Stu) Singleton all of Olathe, and Brian (Heidi) Brown of Tucson, Arizona. Surviving grandchildren are Devon Griffin; Alicia Griffin; Marshall (Kayla) Griffin; Cora Griffin, Whitney Smith (Austin Roberts), Erica Smith, Samantha Brown, Balee Brown, Baylee Singleton and Jordyn Singleton. Also surviving Corky are her brother John (Ronda) Marshall of Iowa City, Iowa, and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.

A luncheon will follow the service at the church and friends may greet the family there.

Memorial donations may be made in Corky’s name to Heifer Project International or to any worthy cause.

Timothy (Tim) Lance Easum

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Tim (aka “Toad”) Easum, 57, died in the early hours of April 20, 2023, at Overland Park Hospital following a moped accident injury sustained the morning of April 11, 2023, while driving in Lawrence, Kansas.  He was born on December 5, 1965, in Topeka, Kansas and was adopted as an infant by Norman B. and Charlene Eugenia Easum.

Tim graduated from Lawrence High School, Class of 1984.  As a career, Tim owned and operated Toad’s Delivery Service, operating mainly in the downtown Lawrence district for over 20 years where he was relied upon by local businesses for making deliveries and running errands.  His day wasn’t complete until he made his rounds, always greeting people with a wave, a smile or fist bump.  Tim was well known and loved by both members and shoppers of the downtown business community who considered him a “local treasure,” and could frequently be found at his favorite place the Downtown Barbershop.  His work brought him great joy along with countless friends who are mourning his passing.

In addition to his parents, Tim was predeceased by a brother, Robert (Bob) Easum.  Survivors include his sister Robin (Easum) Hurley, a niece Stephanie (Easum) Manley and nephew Ryan Easum, both of Lawrence, Kansas, a large extended family including numerous cousins, and many loyal and supportive friends who also became family to Tim.

A visitation will be held at 5:00 pm Saturday, April 29 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, Kansas.  Family and friends are welcome, and an invitation will be issued for anyone attending who would like to say a few words in his memory.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Tim’s name to the Douglas County Community Foundation would be a special tribute and greatly appreciated.  Tim’s final and generous contribution was to be an organ donor.

Toad was a one-of-a-kind local legend and will be deeply missed.  Rest in peace Brother.

Livestreaming will take place at https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTY4MjM4ODA4NDI0Nzg0OCZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJnZpZXdfYnV0dG9u

Graveside inurnment will be 5:30pm, Friday, May 5, 2023, at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Helen A. Fisher

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Memorial Service for Helen A. Fisher, age 95 years of Lawrence, Kansas will be on Saturday April 29th at 2pm at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence. Burial Services will be immediately following at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Mrs. Fisher died Sunday April 9th at Clover Care Home in Shawnee Kansas. She was born April 23, 1927, at 1227 Connecticut Street in Lawrence. She was the daughter of Russell Edward Stevens and Ada Malone Stevens. Most of her childhood was spent in Geary County and Wabaunsee County Kansas. She attended high school at Alta Vista, Kansas and graduated in 1945. She attended Brown Mackie Business School in Salina, Kansas and worked at Kansas Power and Light business office in Salina. Helen married Kenneth E. Fisher January 10, 1947 and they were blessed with 2 sons, Mike Fisher of Overland Park, Kansas and Joe Fisher of Shawnee, Kansas.

Helen and family moved back to Lawrence in 1961 where she worked for the Lawrence Public Schools for 25 years, then retired in August of 1987.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, Kenneth E. Fisher, 4 of 5 siblings, and her oldest son Mike Fisher. She is survived by Joe Fisher and wife Denise; Mike’s wife Linda; 6 grandchildren Laben, Jess, Jared, Makayla, Tyler, and Ashley; 4 great grandchildren Kaden, Connor, Miles, and Wyatt; one step great grandchild Kylie; and a loving network of extended family and friends.

Mrs. Fisher was a homemaker and a member of First United Methodist Church. She was also a member of Alvamar Country Club and enjoyed playing golf and bridge. Her wish was to be a good wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.

She asked for any gifts in her memory be sent to Clover Care Home, PO Box 1260,  Lawrence, Kansas, 66044.