Donald “Don” Ayers, 76, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away Thursday, October 14, 2010. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, October 19th, 11:00 a.m., at St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 777 NE Blackwell Road, Lee’s Summit, MO, 64086, with burial following in the Lee’s Summit Historical Cemetery. Visitation will be held Monday, October 18th, at McGilley State Line Chapel, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., where the Rosary will be prayed at 5:00 p.m. Funeral attendees are encouraged to wear festive colors in celebration of Don’s love of life, family and friends. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Margaret of Scotland Church.
Mr. Ayers was born December 10, 1933 in Manhattan, Kansas. He graduated from Webster Groves High School in Webster Groves, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, where he excelled in track. He went on to earn a BS degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University in 1955. In his college years, Don pledged Delta Tau Delta and remained a life-long member. Following graduation, he served five years as a navigator in the United States Air Force. In 1961, following a year of post-graduate study at Kansas State, he joined the public accounting firm of Peat Marwick, Mitchell & Co. in Kansas City, MO, ultimately achieving the position of Audit Manager. In 1973, he joined the world headquarters of H&R Block, Inc., in Kansas City as Treasurer, rising to Vice President of Finance where he directed all accounting, corporate tax, financial reporting, insurance and investor relations functions, as well as fulfilling his duties as corporate treasurer.
Following retirement from H&R Block after a twenty year career, Mr. Ayers transferred to Ft. Lauderdale, FL where he was contracted for three years as Chief Financial Officer at the H&R Block subsidiary, Interim Services, Inc. His primary responsibility was the spin off and reorganization of Interim as a public company. He was one of the three corporate officers responsible for the very successful initial public offering. Mr. Ayers retired from Interim Services, Inc. in 1997 and resided in Shell Knob, MO, before returning to Kansas City.
Don was a member and past president of the KC Chapter of Financial Executives Institute, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He was also a volunteer in the Shell Knob First Responders and the Central Crossing Fire Department. After moving back to Kansas City, he was a member of Council 13908 Knights of Columbus, served on St. Margaret of Scotland’s Finance Council and was an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion. Don was an avid fisherman, and enjoyed building and flying RC model planes. He was truly a most extraordinary man as well as a loving and gentle soul, and he will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, David “Paul” and Marguerite Elizabeth Ayers. He is survived by his wife of twenty-eight years, Constance “Conni” Tobin; Lillian Ayers, mother of his children; a son and daughter-in-law, Donald Stephen and Stella Ayers; daughter and son-in-law, Karen Elizabeth and Tim Canon; eight grandchildren, and two brothers, Douglas Tom and David Charles Ayers.
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