A Visitation will be held on Friday, March 19, 2021 from 5:00PM to 7:00PM, at the McGilley Antioch Chapel, 3325 NE Vivion Rd., Kansas City, MO 64119.
A Memorial Mass will be held, Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 10:00AM at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 900 NE Shady Lane Dr., Kansas City, MO 64119 with Fr. Don Farnan officiating.
Inurnment will follow services in Resurrection Cemetery, Kansas City, MO.
Art was born in Festus, MO to Philomena Elizabeth (Jockerst) and Anton Joseph Pfaff on August 18, 1929. He obtained his Bachelors Degree at Southeast Missouri State and went on to get his Masters at Missouri University.
He married Barbara Miller on July 26, 1958 in North Kansas City, MO. They shared 62 years together until his passing.
Art was the Business and Typing Teacher, Assistant Football and Basketball Coach, and Head Coach for the Track Team at North Kansas City High School from 1952-1962. He moved on to become the Assistant Principal at Maple Park and Antioch Middle schools and the Athletic Director and Assistant Principal at Oak Park High School from 1965-1973. He opened New Mark Middle School in 1973 and served as principal until 1985. Following his retirement from education, Art was a Real Estate Appraiser for 13 years before fully retiring in 1998.
Art was an active member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish for over 56 years and was Treasurer of Clay County Teachers Credit Union. He was the first Executive Secretary of the Missouri Middle School Association and, after leaving that position, a scholarship was established in his name. Art and students raised $10,000 of pennies and coins two times for the Guatemala Project with the St. Charles Borromeo School. Art volunteered at St. Charles Parochial School for 7 years and at various elementary schools in the NKC District. In 2012, he received the kindest Kansas Citizen award and volunteered at the Bloch Cancer hotline for 9 years and was treasurer for and wrote grants to raise money for the Clay County Clothes Closet and helped distribute clothing for them from 1998 to 2015. Art was proud of the fact that he went to Boys State for being a high achiever in high school and that he was an Eagle Scout.
He loved all sports, especially track, traveling (he and his wife made 13 overseas trips), reading and being around children all his life. His favorite saying was “You can never have a perfect day until you do something for someone who can never repay you.”
Art leaves behind his wife, Barbara (Miller) Pfaff, son, Brad Pfaff, daughter, Carrie and husband John Schaefer, daughter, Kristie Pfaff, and brother, Val Pfaff of Fairfax, VA, grandchildren, Michelle Mose and husband Ryan, Michael Schaefer, Cameron Schaefer, Emelie Pfaff and Cecilia Pfaff and a great-grandchild. He is preceded in death by his sister, Charlotte Lunn.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Jerry Crews, Jim Carney, Mike McCall, Frank Peak, Mike Miller, Michael Schaefer, Cameron Schaefer, and Ryan Mose.
The family of Arthur Pfaff wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Kansas City hospice and their wonderful staff.
He requests no flowers but requests contributions to Clay County Clothes Closet and the Guatemala Project through St. Charles Church at 900 NE Shady Lane Dr, KCMO 64118