THOMAS PAUL O'FARRELL M.D.

1934 - 2013

On November 15, 2013, Thomas Paul O'Farrell, MD, FACS, 78, died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Tom O'Farrell was born on December 16, 1934, in Kansas City, KS, to Margaret E. and Desmond F. O'Farrell, the youngest of their three children. He graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1952. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1956. While at KU, he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and met many lifelong friends as well as his future wife of 54 years, Nancy Dunne. Tom and Nancy were married in June, 1959. He earned his MD at the University of Kansas Medical School in 1960. He completed his surgical residency at KU under Dr. Frank Allbritten. In 1965, Dr. O'Farrell moved his young family to Ft. Leavenworth, KS, where he served as captain in the US Army at Munson Army Hospital. He returned to Kansas City in 1967, and was honored to join the thriving general surgery practice of Drs. Leo and McGannon at Research Medical Center. He grew to enjoy a respected reputation as a general and vascular surgeon with an optimistic, energetic, and friendly bedside manner. In 1978, he initiated the group that eventually became Kansas City Vascular and General Surgeons, now led by his junior partner, Dr. Edward F. Higgins, Jr. ('Pard'). Outside of his medical practice, Dr. O'Farrell served in a variety of roles including Chief of Surgery and board member at Research Medical Center, staff member of St. Joseph Hospital and Baptist Memorial Hospital, Associate Clinical Professor at UMKC, member of the Education and Leadership Council at KU Medical Center, the Review Board for BCBS of KC, and board member of the Research College of Nursing. Tom O'Farrell was a passionate lover of life. He worked hard and he played hard. He will be sorely missed by his family. He was their leader, their constant teacher, their moral guide, their protector, their anchor. His passion for life, his sense of humor, his love of teaching, his play with words, and his sense of integrity and loyalty were passed to each of them, and will live on through them. He is survived by his loving wife, Nancy; their four children, Anne Russell (Ward), Tom O'Farrell, Amy Sullivan (Jim), Patrick O'Farrell (Courtney), and their nine grandchildren: Maggie and Charlie Russell, Patrick, Darcy, and Mary Margaret Sullivan, and Edgar, Patrick, John, and James O'Farrell. He is also survived by his sister, Kathleen Elliott, his niece, Dawn Elliott, and many cherished relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Bob O'Farrell. A funeral will take place at 3pm on Thursday, November 21, at Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to either Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care or the KU Cancer Center (kucancercenter.org./give/support). C