David W. Carey of Kansas City, Kansas passed away at the age of 97 on July 4, 2024, surrounded by family and loved ones. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Friday, July 19th, at Sacred Heart Church, 34th & Shawnee Drive, Kansas City, Kansas. A burial will follow at Leavenworth National Cemetery at 1:30 pm on Friday. Friends may call Thursday, July 18th from 5-8 p.m., with the Rosary said at 5:15 pm at the McGilley & Hoge Johnson County Chapel, 8024 Santa Fe, Overland Park KS, 66204. Memorial contributions may be made in David’s memory to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Kansas City, Kansas.
David is survived by his children and their spouses: Gayle Grape (Edward), Mary Vittorino (Donald), Virginia Umscheid (Floyd) and Aloysius Timothy Carey (Renee); eleven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren; brother, Ramey Carey (Kathy); sisters-in-law, Edith Carey and Loretta Ross. Also surviving are Robin Fisher (Matt), Jenny Kelly and many nieces and nephews. David was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Patricia; daughter, Jeannie Hoover; grandson, Matthew Grape; siblings, Laura Lee McCully, Robert Eugene Carey and James Joseph Carey.
David was born in Kansas City, Missouri on October 8, 1926, to Pauline and Samuel Carey. He graduated from Manual High School and served in the Navy during WWII and later in Korea. He married Patricia Ann Downey on May 14, 1949. They settled in Kansas City, Kansas and started their family which would grow to four daughters and one son.
A devoted Catholic, David was founding member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Multiple generations of his family were baptized, married and buried in the parish. He belonged to the Legion of Mary.
After his military service, David began a decades long career in civil service with the Railway Mail Service which eventually became the US Postal Service and retired in 1988. His career started a family tradition of civil service that would include two brothers, a daughter and nephew. Combined, their service tops 150 years.
In retirement, David and Pat became world travelers. Their many trips included Europe, Morrocco, Hawaii, and Egypt. Several of their children and grandchildren were fortunate enough to experience Disney World with them.
David continued to be involved in organizations that supported the military and service to others. He was a member of the Forty and Eight veterans’ organization and served as a past Post Commander of the Dwight Cowles American Legion Post 370. In 2015, David was accompanied on an Honor Flight to Washington DC by his grandson Jon who was serving in the Army.
David shared a passion for hunting with his brothers they passed on to their sons and grandchildren. He taught Hunter Safety Education for more than 15 years. In his later years, David enjoyed outings to local casinos and was an avid crossword puzzle solver who always completed the puzzle in pen. He was a great storyteller and loved sharing details of his military service while watching war movies.
Most of all, David loved being a grandpa. He and Pat would often pick the grandchildren up from school, enjoyed it when all the kids spent the night and always made sure Christmas was a big deal. When asked what their favorite memory of grandpa is, most of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren would likely say it involved eating ice cream. It was a rite of passage for David to feed the babies ice cream as young as possible, whether their parents were ready or not.
The family would like to thank David’s caregiver, Linda Hudson, and the staff at Advent Hospital for the care he received in his final days.
Please offer condolences at www.mcgilleyhoge.com.
