John Hutt Shackelford

John was born on June 21, 1926, in Kansas City, Missouri, and was the second child of William Harrison Shackelford, Jr. and Louise Hutt Shackelford. He grew up in the Kansas City area with his older sister Barbara and younger brother Bill. He was an enthusiast of all sports but excelled at playing football and baseball at Pembroke Country Day School.

John graduated from Pembroke in May of 1944, and a month later, he answered the call to serve his country in World War II (choosing to sacrifice a scholarship to the University of Tulsa to play football). He enlisted as a Navy medic and served in the Pacific, where he spent his first Christmas overseas in Tsingtao China. His rank was Pharmacist Mate Third Class, but many of the sailors and marines that he treated just called him “Doc.” John’s last duty station was aboard the U.S.S. General H.W. Butner troopship (AP-113). He received several commendations, including the Asiatic/Pacific Victory Medal.

After his service was completed in August of 1946, John returned to the Midwest and enrolled at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and became President of the fraternity house during his senior year. He graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor’s Degree, and was a Tiger for life.

John established many lasting friendships while at MU, but he finally met his match when he crossed paths with Helen Elizabeth Haigh from Jefferson City, Missouri. (Special thanks go to Jim Nutter for helping John to overcome his shyness by introducing Helen to John at a college function.) John would then find any excuse to slowly drive by her sorority house and ring the clanging bell in his Oldsmobile 88. She would become the love of his life. John and Helen married in 1952 in Booneville, Missouri, and remained devoted to each other for 71 years and 11 months. Along the way, they had four children: Susie, Jill, Jay, and Scott. Then came 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. And of course, there were always many wonderful moments with their beloved Scottish Terriers.

John’s first job was working as an investment banker at the H.O. Peet firm. He later joined his father’s company, Terrace Park Development Company, which focused on property development and management of apartment complexes and duplex subdivisions located in Kansas City, Missouri, North Kansas City, Liberty and Olathe, Kansas. After his father’s death in 1976, John became President of Terrace Park and worked there until his retirement in 1988.

John didn’t believe much in idle time – he always stayed busy and active. He loved playing golf at the Kansas City Country Club and encouraged his family to learn the sport. John and Helen’s voices could always be heard above the crowd cheering on their children at summer swim meets. A long-standing member of the Club, John served on the Board of Directors during the tenure when his brother Bill was the Club President. He was a gifted coach and mentor to many and spent countless hours at 3&2 Baseball games as head coach, and the YMCA gridiron as assistant coach and trainer. He was very fond of kneeling behind the plate as a pitching coach, and as a left-hander, he cherished his custom-made catcher’s mitt. One of his former players recently said, “He always mixed humor with support, and was always there for all of us.” And there was no one better than Coach Shackelford when it came to inspiration through the mixing of metaphors.

John had a strong and abiding relationship with God and spent many years serving as an usher at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. His faith carried him in 2010 when he fought and survived bladder and prostate cancer. His relationships with his large family and numerous friends were also deep and everlasting. In particular, John always leaned on his brother Bill, and together they forged an amazing, lifelong bond. Support was always a phone call away. Or they would often ponder life at Waid’s or Governor Stumpy’s.

John is survived by his wife, Helen Shackelford; his daughters Susan Kanaga (Chris) and Jill Hall, and sons John Shackelford, Jr. (Holly) and Scott Shackelford (Karen Porter); his grandchildren Courtney Kanaga Fogarty, John Kanaga (Stacy), Helen Hall, Will Hall, Will Shackelford, Emma Shackelford, Meg Shackelford Verret (Will), Lydia Shackelford, Meredith Shackelford and Troy Shackelford; and his great-grandchildren Anastasia Chase, Evan Chase, Mark Fogarty, Reagan Kanaga, Madison Kanaga, Will Kanaga, Lou Verret and Ruth Verret. He was preceded in death by his sister Barbara Shackelford Seidlitz, his brother William Harrison Shackelford III and his daughter-in-law Martha Shackelford.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, January 19, 2024, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 6401 Wornall Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the ALS Association or St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.