at NorthCare Hospice House, North Kansas City.
Jim was born August 7, 1933, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Charles and Beatrice (Lower) Gilpin.
He was the youngest of fifteen children, with seven brothers and seven sisters, growing up on
the family farm.
Jim’s early education was spent in the one-room schoolhouse across the street from the
farmhouse where he was raised. He later attended and graduated from Pickett High School.
An early childhood memory that he shared was how he and his brothers were responsible for
cutting the grass off the plots in the Walnut Grove cemetery across from the street from their
farmhouse. The money he earned - $15 a year - was used to buy new school shoes. After
graduating high school, he worked at Swift & Co. Meat Packing before and after serving our
country in the US Army from 1953-1955.
While still living in St. Joseph, he attended trade school in Kansas City and rented a room at
the Savory Hotel at 9th and Central for $5 a week. This was the beginning of his career as a
pipefitter.
Jim met Betty Benitz on New Year’s Day at the New Yorker bar in St. Joseph. They were
engaged on Christmas Eve 1957 and married on June 1, 1958. Shortly after their wedding,
they moved to Kansas City and would call it home for the next 66 years.
Jim began working at Carroll Appliance for several years before taking a job at Sears, where
he completed his apprenticeship to become a pipefitter. Jim credits Mr. Carroll with helping
him get his union card, which led him to jobs with Air Contractors, A.D. Jacobson and U.S.
Engineering. He retired from U.S. Engineering in 1995.
Jim was a member of the Masonic Lodge, a member of the Ararat Shriners in Kansas
City, as well as Pipefitter's Local #533.
He was a quiet man with an easy-going, gentle spirit who lived simply. He loved spending time
with his family and friends, tending to his vegetable garden, and bowling. He worked hard,
took care of his family, taught others what was important by how he lived, and had lots of
fun. He was not a perfect man, but he did so many things right.
He looked forward to his weekly Taco Tuesday lunches and his Friday night dinner group. He
was always curious and loved tinkering with anything and everything - he was our “fix it”
man. Never one to spend time complaining, he truly seemed to enjoy life and kept his sense
of humor until the very end. He was an avid reader of magazines and newspapers, including
being a faithful reader of the KC Star - always saving the Opinion section so he could “study”
it later. He provided lifelong memories for his family, friends and many others that we will
cherish forever. He will be deeply missed.
Jim is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Sheldon, Ed, John, Bill, Joe, Ralph and Bob
and sisters Helen Weisenborn, Dorothy Gilpin, Mildred Wise, Elsie Hurst, Mary Grayce
Shaneck, Ruth Ann Wakeman.
His survivors include his wife, Betty, and three daughters, Janet Glasnapp, Pam (Rick) Stanley,
and Sandy Gilpin. Jim also leaves four grandchildren, Brooke Glasnapp, Nick (Mary) Glasnapp,
Jack and Kyle Stanley, two great grandchildren, Emma and Kate Glasnapp, his sister Myrt
Dunn, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A visitation for Jim will be held Friday, May 17, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at White
Chapel Funeral Home, 6600 NE Antioch Road, Gladstone, Missouri, with a Celebration of Life
service starting at 2:00 PM. Graveside services will follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Shriners Children’s Hospital at P.O.
Box 947765, Atlanta, GA 30394 or visit www.lovetotherescue.org
DONATIONS
Shriner's Children HospitalPO Box 947765, Atlanta, Georgia 30394
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