Kenneth R Gleason

Graduated East High School, Memphis, Tennessee in 1957

Graduated from the University of Mississippi, 'Ole Miss', with a BBA in Business in the summer of1962. [Note: Just one month before James Meredith enrolled launched the Civil Rights Movement.]

While enrolled at Ole Miss Ken joined the Phi Chapter of Delta Psi Fraternity" St. Anthony Hall" Oxford, Mississippi.

His parents were Robert Charles Gleason, born in Ontario, Canada of American parents, and Minnie, 'Til', Leone Cowley, born in Illinois, both deceased. Ken had documented ancestors from both sides of the Civil and the American Revolutionary Wars.

Ken is survived by three sisters, Brenda Aylward of Overland Park, Gail Perry of Millsboro, Delaware and Cynthia Smethers of Reston, Virginia as well as four nieces and two nephews.

Ken proudly served the U.S Army and loved to tell stories about his "combat" experiences behind enemy lines in cooking school!

Following his tour of service, Ken held several executive positions for a variety of major US companies such as Liberty Mutual, Chesebrough-Ponds and Davis Paints. It was these experiences and a desire to "be his own boss" that brought about the opening his own corporate head-hunting business, Gleason & Associates.

Later in life, Ken applied his remarkable sales skills as a consultant to Superior Chevrolet and Olathe Ford.

Ken was an avid big sports fan and particularly loved the Royals, Chiefs and his Rebels from Ole Miss.

His personal passion was golf. Ken was tenacious competitor over many years in Kansas and Missouri amateur golf events.

Ken was a past member of Brookridge Country Club and for the last 10+ years at Alvamar Golf Club. At Alvamar, he was a regular with the "noon group," a special gang of friends that, rain or shine, Ken seldom missed an opportunity join his pals.

In recent years, Ken's health kept him off the golf course, but he seldom missed an opportunity to call his pals to recap a major golf tournament or to discuss the young Royals. He would have loved to have seen the Royals back in a pennant race.

The funeral will be at McGilley's State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Rd. on Friday, August 12th at 3:00 PM. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. There will be a gathering at my sister Brenda's home afterward.

Burial plans are pending arrangements at Ft. Leavenworth and is expected to be during the week of August 15th.