Mike

Here you go, obituaries for Kathleen and her husband William...

KATHLEEN McLEESE

Kathleen Hildebrand McLEESE, 67, Prairie Village, a former reporter for “The Kansas City Star”, died Sept. 18, 1988, in the Life Care Center of Overland Park, 7541 Switzer St., Overland Park.
Mrs. McLEESE was an obituary writer, librarian and general assignment reporter for “The Star”. She also was the paper’s federal courthouse reporter before leaving in 1950.
She was a housing surveyor for the U. S. Census Bureau from 1970 to 1980 and a certified travel consultant for Den-Mark Travel West, Inc. from 1980 to December 1987.
She was a member of Women in Communications, the International Council of Travel agents, the Missouri Repertory Theater Guild, Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and the Carriage Club. She attended St. Ann’s Catholic Church, prairie Village.
Mrs. McLEESE received a journalism degree form the University of Missouri journalism school in 1943. She was a lifelong area resident.
Survivors include her husband, William V. McLEESE of the home; three sons, William V. McLEESE, Jr., Washington D.C., Frederick D. McLEESE, Kansas City, and John E. McLEESE, Parkville{MO}; and a grandson.
Services will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the church; burial in Cornith Cemetery {Prairie Village, Ks.}. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the McGilley Midtown Guardian Chapel. The family suggest contributions to the Sisters of Loretto Retirement Fund, Nerinx, Ky.

Source: “The Kansas City(MO) Star”, Tuesday, September 20, 1988, Vol. 122, No. 11, page B6, column 1. Photo included with obituary.


WILLIAM V. McLEESE

William V. McLEESE, 76, Prairie Village, a lawyer and former chairman of the Kansas City area Transportation Authority, died June 18, 1992, at the home. Services will be at 3:30 p.m. Monday at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Prairie village; burial in Cornith Cemetery. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Muehleback Chapel, where the rosary will be said at 7 p.m. The family suggests contributions to the Sisters of Loretto retirement fund, Finance Office, Loretto Mother House, Nerinx, Ky. 40049.
Mr. McLEESE was a lawyer with the J. C. Nichols Co. from 1951 to 1981 and was board secretary and general counsel until 1980. He was lead counsel for the Shawnee Indian Tribe in title litigation regarding the Old Methodist mission in Johnson County. He was general counsel for the Colombian National Title Insurance Co., until May 1992. He was the clerk to federal Judge Kimbrough STONE in the mid-1940s and practiced at Stinson, Mag & Fizzell law firm before 1951.
He was named to the first Area transportation Authority in 1965 and was its chairman in 1967. He was chairman of the authority’s research, development and planning committee in 1969 and was a board member until 1971. He was again named to the ATA board in 1975.
He was a member of the American Bar Association, the Missouri and Kansas Bars, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and the lawyers Association of Kansas City. He graduated from Rockhurst College {Kansas City, Mo}, attended Notre Dame University and in 1948 received a juris doctorate degree from the University of Kansas City.
Mr. McLEESE was a member of the Carriage Club. He was a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Prairie Village, land was an army veteran of World War II. He was a lifelong Kansas City area resident. His wife, Kathleen McLEESE died in 1988.
Survivors include three sons, William V. McLEESE, Jr., Arlington, Va., Frederick D. McLEESE, Kansas City, and John E. McLEESE, Leawood{Ks}; three sisters, Anne E. McLEESE, Kansas City, Sister Frances DeChantec McLEESE, St. Louis, and Sister Helene McLEESE, Nerinx, and three grandchildren.
Pallbeares: Evans FOLGER, Keith WILSON, Jr., William MAUER, Patrick NASH, Jim Tom REID and Bob EVANS.

Source: “The Kansas City(MO) Star, Saturday, June 20, 1992, Vol. 112, No. 277, page C5, column 1. Photo included with obituary.


You can find contact information for Fred and John McLeese at www.switchboard.com . Anne E McLEESE passed away 4 Oct 2002 per the SSDI. I did not check on the others. Contact me privately if you would like photo copies of these two obituaries, or Anne's obituary.

Dave Goldy
Overland Park, KS

davegoldy AT swbell DOT net