John Owen Baenisch

December 1, 1948 - May 11, 2025

Sunrise Beach, Missouri - John Owen Baenisch passed peacefully at his home Sunday May 11, 2025 at the age of 76. He was born in Kansas City, Mo December 1, 1948. When his father, Ernest passed away in 1954, his mother, Esther moved him and his sister Judi to Mission, Kansas where he would go to school and graduate from Shawnee Mission North High School in 1967.

After graduation he chose to join the United States Air Force and served from 1968-1972 achieving rank of sergeant, while being stationed primarily at Mount Hebo Air Force Base in Oregon. This is also when and where he met the love of his life, Karen, with whom he would share 54 years of marriage. He said he felt very fortunate in life to have known two wonderful women, his wife, Karen and his mother, Esther, who both always sacrificed, loved, and dedicated themselves to the family.

After his tour in the military, he chose to be discharged and was awarded a partial disability pension for injuries received while serving. After leaving the service, John and Karen returned to the Kansas City area where they purchased a home in Mission Woods, Kansas and resided there until moving full time to The Lake of The Ozarks in 2015. After leaving the Air Force, he was employed by the Belsaw Machinery Company where he had worked during high School as a janitor and office boy. He started in customer service and by the time he retired in 2006, he had risen to become a Vice President. After leaving Belsaw, he ventured part time in real estate until his full-time retirement in 2015.

In his younger days John participated in basketball, football, baseball, and tennis and continued to enjoy watching sports throughout his life. John played guard for his high school football team, the Indians. He also enjoyed other hobbies such as cars and performance boats. He especially enjoyed cruising around the lake with his wife and family.

Other interests included building and remodeling projects. He considered himself to be a closet architect. Through the years John and Karen did several home improvement and construction projects together and built their own lake house. That's where John liked to think his son (who is a remodeling and building contractor) got the building and remodeling itch as he had him mudding drywall at 6 years of age.

In addition to hobbies and sports, John served as a city councilman in Mission Woods, Kansas and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Kansas City Area Better Business Bureau. He also coached and managed a 3&2 Baseball Team for several years.

He was proceeded in death by his father Ernest, mother Esther and sister Judi, as well as several friends. He is survived by his wife Karen Baenisch, son John Ryan (Rocky) Baenisch, daughter-in-law Amanda Baenisch, granddaughters, Victoria Zubrod and Lilly Baenisch, great grandchildren, Eliza Zubrod and Zander Zubrod, nieces, Heidi Ulmer, Lena Rodriquez, and Macey Aljumaan, as well as several other nieces/nephews and great nieces/nephews.

Cremation is being provided by Kidwell-Garber in Laurie. There will be a brief service at Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri, on May 30, 2025 at 1:00 p.m., with interment following. If desired, memorial donations may be made to Phoenix Home Care & Hospice, 500 Broadway, Jefferson City, MO 65101 or Wounded Warriors Project.

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Published by Kansas City Star from May 21 to May 23, 2025.