DR. NEIL REARDON

Cornelius Francis Reardon, Jr., DDS, of Kansas City, Mo., died January 13, 2014, at New Mark Care Center in Kansas City, surrounded by his family and friends. He was born May 5, 1932, in Chicago, Ill., the eldest of four children of Tess (Kraft) and Cornelius Francis Reardon, Sr. In 1958, he married Patricia Clare Connery, the love of his life. Along with his parents, Neil is preceded in death by two brothers, Tom and John, and his beloved wife, Patricia, in 1979. Neil graduated St. Ignatius High School in Chicago, and John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. He served in the US Army in the mid- 1950's. Neil then graduated from the University of Detroit Dental School. He practiced dentistry in Barrington, Ill., after which he taught dentistry at Loyola University and Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va. He then moved his family to Kansas City and taught at UMKC Dental School from 1978 to 1997, where he served as Chairman of Fixed Prosthedontics and was voted faculty member of the year for a number of years. He was a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon, a national dental honor society. Neil was very devout in his faith, and was a member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Smithville, where he has served as a Eucharistic minister. His true devotion was being a husband to his loving wife, Patricia, and following her untimely death at age 44, a single father to eight children whom he cherished and adored. He was a doting grandfather of 22 grandchildren and one great grandson. He considered his students and fellow Dental School faculty his extended family. Survivors include his eight children, son, John and wife Gina, son, Dr. Tom and wife Dr. Jane, son, Dan and wife Betty, son, Dr. Jim and wife Joanne, daughter, Mary Pat Dickens and husband Brad, daughter, Dr. Mary Clare Reardon (Vickers) and husband Bobby, daughter, Dr. Mary Therese Woody and husband Dr. Matt, daughter, Mary Beth Williams and husband the Honorable Brian; his sister, Mary Agnes Byerwalter, niece, Mariann Byerwalter, and his nephew, Robert Byerwalter, all in San Francisco, Calif.; sister-in-law, Ann Stockey, nieces, Mary Beth Hepp, Julie Walker, Katie Cornille, and nephew, Timothy Reardon, all of the Chicago area. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. followed by Mass of Christian burial at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 1, at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Smithville. Burial will follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Kansas City. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Good Shepherd Catholic Church or to the UMKC Dental School. You may send a message to the family or sign an online guest book via www.parklawnfunerals.com. Arr.: Park Lawn Northland Chapel, (816) 781-8228.