Bart Ernest Eisfelder

Bart Ernest Eisfelder, devoted husband and son, loving father, respected lawyer and lifelong resident of Kansas City, passed away peacefully on July 25th, just 3 months after his beloved wife, Judy.

Bart was born in Kansas City on September 13, 1946 at Fairmont Maternity Hospital. He was luckily adopted at birth by Ruth and Alfred Eisfelder, who were the most wonderful parents to him. They raised him to be hardworking, loyal and kind. As a child, Bart loved baseball. By the time he got to high school at Southwest, he had become a star baseball player. He even secured a baseball scholarship to KU, although he played just a few games in college before an injury forced him to change paths. 

Bart attended the University of Kansas from 1964-1968. He joined the Delta Chi fraternity, where he made life-long friends. Bart continued to support Delta Chi after graduating by serving as president of the Kansas Chapter Alumnae Board of Trustees for over 20 years, as well as holding other important roles in local and national Delta Chi organizations. After graduating from KU in 1968, Bart continued his education at Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, earning a Juris Doctorate in Law in 1971 before returning to Kansas City.

Bart worked with many great law firms in the Kansas City area including James and Eisfelder: Jackson and Sherman: Jackson and Bailey: Shugart, Thompson and Kilroy, and for the last 19 years of his practice, Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper and Hofer P.C. He served as chairman and vice-chair of the Workers’ Compensation Kansas City Bar Association and the Missouri Bar Association and was a contributing author to the Missouri Bar CLE Deskbook on Workers’ Compensation. He was a member of the College Worker’s Compensation Lawyers, Missouri and Kansas Bar Associations and the Kansas City Missouri Bar Association.

Bart became a well respected workers’ compensation attorney in his 40+ year career. He enjoyed his job and the people he met along the way and was very proud of his career accomplishments. He mentored many young lawyers and paralegals and was regarded among his clients and peers as honest and fair. A friend and fellow lawyer described Bart as “a formidable foe and a class act”.

During his first year at KU, Bart was introduced to Judy King when his fraternity helped move the freshman girls into their dorms. Bart and Judy enjoyed their time at KU very much and became Jayhawk fans for life. The couple was married in Wichita, Kansas on June 8th, 1968. Their marriage lasted a few months shy of 57 years! 

In 1971, Bart and Judy moved to Kansas City to start their family and life together. They welcomed son, John, in August of 1973, and daughter, Jessica, in September of 1976. Soon after, they purchased the house in Fairway that would be their home for the next 45 years. They made wonderful memories in that house, including countless holidays, parties and even Jake and Mary’s wedding!

Bart and Judy had a happy life together. They enjoyed traveling and exploring new places, both big cities and small towns, and became fast friends with everyone they met along the way.

Bart loved music, mainly old country and bluegrass. He and Judy were regulars at the Winfield Bluegrass Festival. He played the guitar, had a nice singing voice but had a hard time remembering the lyrics. He was so proud when Jake became a fantastic musician and loved to hear him play. 

He loved Colorado and especially enjoyed hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. He and Judy hiked hundreds of trails there and even climbed to the top of Long’s Peak, the tallest mountain in Colorado. He took loads of pictures on those trips and would set up long family slide shows to relive every moment.

Bart was a history buff and read huge books about the civil war. He was excited when Jessica moved to Virginia, right in the heart of Civil War country. They explored many historical sites while visiting Jessica and her family. 

Bart was a wonderful husband, father, uncle and grandpa (Papa) who loved his family very much. He loved to make everyone smile with his awful jokes and make his grandkids laugh by splashing in the pool, making funny faces or stealing their noses. Although he is greatly missed, we are comforted knowing that he and Judy are reunited, free from the pain of this world, setting out for a nice long hike in the mountains.

Bart is preceded in death by his wife, Judy Eisfelder, and his parents, Ruth and Alfred Eisfelder. He is survived by his children, Jake and Jessica, daughter-in-law MaryMargaret, son-in-law Jasen Fore, grandchildren Michael Estes, Maya Josephine, Boden Mills and Oona Sophia, niece, Becca Harris and her family and nephew, Ben Harvey and his family.

Friends and family are welcome to join us at Bart and Judy’s home on October 12th, from 1pm-4pm to celebrate his life. Please contact Jake or Jessica if you need more details.