James Joseph Gleeson, Jr.

Born in Missouri in 1938, he was defined by his bedrock faith, gentleness, humility, and compassion for others.

Jim was a proud graduate of St. Francis Xavier Grade School, Rockhurst High School, and Rockhurst University. He and his family took tremendous pride in his seven years of service in the United States Navy. Following his time in the Navy, Jim went into the commercial real estate business with his father.

Along his journey, Jim’s integrity and character earned the respect of everyone he interacted with, including those he served with, baseball players he coached, doctors and nurses, close family and friends, and strangers. His soft-spoken, quick sense of humor was one of a kind and will be dearly missed.

An avid lover of sports, cooking, hunting, fishing, reading, and gardening, Jim was always learning something new. In his later years, he became quite tech savvy with his iPad, keeping his family updated on sports, news, and weather.

His legacy will live on through the two most important things to him — his family and his faith. He and his wife of fifty-nine years Patty were inseparable, with their best times being their morning masses, holidays, and family events with those they loved the most. He was a man of deep faith.

Jim is forever in the hearts of his wife Patricia; three children Christina (Darin), Michael, and Joseph; two grandchildren Zachary and Henry; brothers William (Carol) and Robert; and nieces Kelly, Jaime, Jennifer, Elizabeth, and Katherine, among many other loving family members. He has been reunited with his father James and mother Margaret who preceded him in death.

The family would like to express sincere gratitude to the staff at St. Luke’s Hospital and Kansas City Hospice House for their loving and empathetic care, along with Dr. Nora Gomez.

Visitation will be from 3-5 PM on Sunday, August 17 at McGilley State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO 64145. The Rosary will be prayed at 4:30 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, August 18 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11822 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jim’s honor can be made to Kansas City Hospice House at: https://kchospice.org/donate/

“In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you.” - Matthew 7:12