Lester "Keith" Gann

Lester Keith Gann, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on February 15, 2025 in Shawnee, Kansas. Known to his friends and family as Keith, he lived a life full of adventure with love for the great outdoors, and was cherished by his loving family. A devoted family man, his greatest joy in life was his grandchildren, who he adored beyond measure.

Born in 1941, Keith graduated from Washington High School in 1959 before attending Emporia State University, where he majored in Psychology and played football. He met the love of his life, Martha, and they married in 1968, building a lifetime of cherished memories together. They lived in Kansas City, Kansas their entire lives and were longtime parishioners at Christ the King Catholic Church.

Keith spent most of his career in manufacturing, dedicating the majority of his years to SOR, where he was known for his hard work and integrity. Outside of work, he pursued his many passions; fly fishing, hunting, tying flies, building knives, restoring guns, and collecting books. An avid reader of all things outdoors and westerns, Keith became a talented writer and documented his adventures with a keen eye for detail, and many of his stories were published over the years. He taught many life lessons to his children running the orchard, coaching their sports teams and being a Scout Master for the Boys Scouts.

He had many longtime friends that shared his interests and when they weren’t with him on an adventure, they were telling stories together at Bob Evans restaurant.

To his grandchildren, he was simply Papa—their biggest fan on the sidelines and in the stands, always cheering them on with pride and ready with a $5 bill after every game. The grandkids meant everything to him and he was always ready teach them to tie flies, talk about sports, go for ATV rides or passing on life lessons.

His heart belonged to the Current River in Missouri and Taylor Park in Colorado, two of his favorite places where he found peace and joy. If he wasn’t just coming back from one of those spots, he was surely planning his next trip. When he wasn’t on a river, he was walking the trails in Parkville or working out at the YMCA.

Keith was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Dorothy. He is survived by his loving wife, Martha; his sister Karen (John) Cockrell; his brother Alan (Jeannie) Gann; his children Kristina (Chris) Albright, Kevin (Jill) Gann, and Megan (Brent) Thieman; his seven grandchildren; Jack, Sam, Lilly, Max, Emme, Henry and Scarlett and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Keith’s legacy of love, adventure, and storytelling will live on in the hearts of those who knew him. His family will honor his memory with a funeral mass at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shawnee on February 22, 2025. Visitation will begin at 9:30 AM, followed by the funeral mass at 11:00 AM. The funeral procession will go to Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery followed by a reception at the St. Joseph Catholic Church McDevitt Hall.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. James Academy.