Loren Campbell Jeffers Jr.

Our beloved husband, father and grandfather Loren Campbell Jeffers Jr, 84, passed away on March 18, 2023. Loren was born on June 28, 1938 in Kansas City, Missouri to Loren Campbell Jeffers Sr and Dorothy Leona Zink Jeffers. Loren married Celia Ann Smith, his high school sweetheart in 1959. Loren and Celia had three daughters and always stressed the importance of hard work, a good education and family. Loren and Celia were both teachers and would spend their summers traveling in their RVs with family to favorite destinations such as Colorado, Montana, the Canadian Rockies, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Loren was a self-taught handyman, wood worker and could figure anything out by reading a manual. He loved planning projects, building pieces of furniture in his workshop and even built a large kitchen addition to their house. His family will always remember his “quick to laugh, slow to anger” personality, how he loved to watch movies and will smile thinking about how he could whistle a tune better than most.

He graduated from Grain Valley HS in 1957 and continued his education with a Bachelor of Science from Central Missouri State in 1962 and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Kansas in 1967. After moving to the Gladstone area, Loren began working for the North Kansas City School district for 30 years from 1967 to 1997. He was a dedicated Science teacher at Oak Park High School for the first 4 years and finished his career teaching Chemistry at Winnetonka High School. During his years of teaching, he loved to entertain his students with fun experiments, sponsored several clubs and coached girl’s freshman basketball for several years in the ‘80’s.

Loren was a proud member of the 442nd Operations Squadron of the Air Force reserves for four years and one year of active duty during the Cuban missile crisis.

Loren is survived by his wife Celia Jeffers; three daughters, Brenda and husband David Holleman, Janelle and husband Robert Burd, Melanie and husband Alan Davidson; seven grandchildren, Katherine and husband Andrew Lang, Kristen and husband Ben Todd, Eric Burd, Kelsey Burd, Sean Burd, Ryan Davidson, Jessica Davidson; two brothers, Mike Jeffers and wife Marlene, John Jeffers and wife Dodie and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was a wonderful husband, loving father and very proud grandfather. He will be missed dearly.