Michael Richard Kay

Michael Richard Kay, born on March 8, 1945, in Cleveland, Ohio, departed this life on December 20, 2025, in Overland Park, Kansas. He spent his last days teasing every nurse that came into his room and thanking every worker who brought him food, finishing out his 80 years on Earth with the same set of jokes he's been telling for decades. The only thing he didn't ask was whether there would be a "good looking guy" discount from the hospital bill. Mike spent his younger years moving around a lot thanks to his father's job with US Steel. He bounced from town to town along the East Coast and Midwest until finally settling down in Kansas City where he has lived for the last fifty years. During that time, the only other place he called home was Laurie, MO where he caught the biggest bass you've ever seen but unfortunately wasn't able to get it on camera. We'll just have to trust him on that one.As a man who never once met a stranger he couldn't talk to, Mike had a long and perfectly apt career in sales. Most notable were his years spent setting Edy's Ice Cream up as a national brand. He oversaw the logistics of opening multiple facilities across the country, work that made good use of his detail-oriented mind. Eventually, tired of the constant travel, Mike took this experience to the local level, starting McKay Sales with Barb where he got to see first hand the joy of selling ice cream and occasionally brought his kids to work stocking product in the giant freezers. While other parts of his career may have been more glamorous, Mike's brief stint working at Golf Galaxy truly exemplifies the type of man he was. He never sold anyone something that they didn't need even if it meant losing the sale. This included going as far as offering one of his own clubs to a fellow veteran trying out the sport for the first time. He never lost sight of the person behind the sale. That approach led to him achieving the notable distinction of being in the top 10 for sales in the country despite doing the work part time.Mike loved murder mysteries, winning at Yahtzee, the English countryside, slipping Ash crumbs from his plate, and writing the grocery list with Barb every Saturday. He showed John how to buy and fix up a house and was the first phone call Emily made in stressful situations. While he was certainly a hard-headed individual, behind the "Grumpy" exterior was a man who loved very deeply. His advice and affection will be greatly missed.Mike is survived by his wife of 37 years, Barbara Kay, and their children, Emily Kay and John Kay. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles M. Kay and Jeanne P. Kay, and siblings, Charles Kay and Nancy Kay.