Leo "John" Pearce

1931 - 2019

Leo "John" Pearce John Pearce of Leawood, KS, died on Dec. 5, 2019. He was born on St. Swithin's Day, 1931. British folklore says whether it rains or is fair on July 15th that weather will continue for the next forty days. John's birthdate is very appropriate since his ancestors were natives of Cornwall, England, who came to America in 1820. He was the fourth generation of Pearces to live in Johnson County, KS. John was a communicator, both written and verbal, and a world traveler for business and pleasure. He graduated from Southwest High School in 1948 and received a B.S. degree from KU in 1952. Following college, he enlisted in the Air Force, working in information services. He returned to KU to earn a M.S. degree in journalism, which prepared him for a career in editing and public relations. John's first civilian job was editor of publications for the Bendix Corporation, where he met Sharon Lyn Browning, his assistant editor and wife-to-be. They were married in 1961 and began a life of adventure lasting 58 years. John enjoyed the challenge of starting jobs from scratch. In 1968, he became the fourth employee of Johnson County Community College. His first assignment: planning and conducting the successful drive for a county bond to purchase land and build the new campus. John ultimately became dean of community affairs and director of the JCCC Foundation. Ten years later, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners hired John to be the first director of community development, where he lead the planning, zoning, and building inspection regulations for all unincorporated areas of the county. In 1982, John took on a new assignment with Padgett-Thompson, based in Overland Park, KS. This afforded John the opportunity to combine two of his favorite things: travel and talk. By the time John retired in 1996, he had conducted over 1600 seminars on 32 subjects, presenting five days a week in all 50 states, Great Britain, Canada and Puerto Rico. John was active in professional organizations. At KU, he was president of Alpha Delta Sigma national advertising fraternity. During his professional career, John was president of the K.C. Chapter, International Association of Business Communicators; president of the K.C. Chapter, Public Relations Society of America; first adviser to the KU student chapter of PRSA; first person selected to represent community colleges on the national board of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Higher Education; and founder/first president of the National Council for Community Relations. John's lifelong hobby was traveling. He loved studying maps and travel books and planning trips across the country and to foreign countries. On his many travels, he sought out pubs, outdoor cafes, exotic food, and sites off the beaten path. In the final count, John and Sharon visited 83 countries on six continents. John was preceded in death by his parents, Leo and Dorothy Bowen Pearce, and his brother, Robert E. Pearce. Immediate family members surviving him are his wife Sharon, son Evan (Krisann), daughter Heather (Ken) and grandchildren Carson, Nolan and Sophia. A celebration of John's life will be held on January 3, 2020, at 11 am at the Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS, with a reception following. In retirement, John volunteered his service as a board member of the New Theatre Scholarship Guild to raise scholarship funds for performing arts students at KU, UMKC and UCM. Memorial donations may be made in his name to the New Theatre Scholarship Guild Treasurer, P.O. Box 7182, Lee's Summit, MO, 64086, or online at tntguild.org.