John Ray Bederman

     John R. Bederman, age 77 years, of Blue Springs, MO, passed away Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at University of Kansas Medical Center surrounded by his loving wife and family.

     John was born February 3, 1947 in Kansas City, MO. He is the son of Dean and Beverly Bederman. He was active in Boy Scouts, achieving Eagle Scout rank in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. John graduated from Northeast High School, class of 1965. John married his high school sweetheart, Jeanne, March 27, 1967 in Bisbee, Arizona. He was drafted into the US Army, serving from 1966-1972. John was deployed to Vietnam from December 1967 to October 1968 during the Tet Offensive. He graduated from UMKC with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science.

     John was a proud and dedicated railroader. He began his career as a conductor on the Milwaukee Road. Through the years, the former MILW Road and its employees would be consumed by the SOO Line, Canadian Pacific Railway, and IMRL, respectively. His work ethic, individual drive, and education allowed him to work his way up to Superintendent. He then went to work for the Kansas City Terminal where he would later retire with a combined total of 41 years of railroad service.

     John was an amazing husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Family was very important to him as he never missed his kids' or grandkids' sporting events or activities of any kind. John loved the outdoors, vacationing with his family, time at the lake house, and of course the mountains. He enjoyed a variety of hobbies during his life: he was an avid trap shooter and a phenomenal snow skier, and he enjoyed fishing, bicycling, racquetball, and jogging/walking. 

     John is survived by his wife, Jeanne (Binger); daughters, Shelley Bederman and Joni (Larry) Squiers; grandkids, Jody (Phil) Begaye, Trenton (Ashton) Squiers, and Tori Squiers; and great-grandkids, Lydia, Ezra, Logan, and Willa. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dean and Beverly Bederman, and his brother, Rick Bederman. John was a wonderful man and will be truly missed by his family forever.