Morris E Ganaden

was born at home on Sept. 3, 1933, to Opal and Glen Ganaden, in Kansas City, MO, near 27th

and Holmes. He attended Logan and Longfellow Elementary. He became a Catholic and

attended Our Lady of Sorrows and Lillis High School. He was active in football, basketball and

baseball while at Lillis. He worked at Armco Steel for a year and then joined the U.S. Coast

Guard. His four years in the Coast Guard were spent aboard ships in the Pacific and patrol

boats in the New York Harbor area. After his discharge, he received a BS in civil engineering at

Finlay Engineering College. He courted and married the love of his life, his lovely wife

Genevieve Fonseca, a Latina woman from the Republic of Panama, while visiting his Aunt

Pauline. They celebrated their 64 years of marriage recently.

After graduation, he then worked for the Illinois Highway Department designing bridges in

Springfield, IL, for five years. Their first child, Gina, was born, and Morris and Genny were now a

happy family of three. The family, missing Kansas City, moved back to KC where Morris worked

with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designing dam and military structures. While there, he

attended KU and received his MS in civil engineering. Morris’ and Genny’s second child, Teresa,

was born. The happy family was now four members strong. During these years, Genny received

her BA in education. She taught Spanish at Lincoln and other schools in Kansas City. Gina and

Teresa both received MA degrees in education. Morris was also very active in these years. He

ran many marathons and triathlons, and he biked many MS150s and across Kansas numerous

times. He loved the outdoors and backpacked trails in numerous national parks. The family went

on many three-week tent camping trips across the U.S. and camped in nearly every national

park in the country.

After 30 years with the Corps, Morris retired and spent happy years with Genny and his family.

In the meantime, Gina had Lindsey, and Teresa had Grant, their beloved grandchildren. Lindsey

received a BS in technology, and Grant received a BA and MA in journalism. Morris' many

hobbies included painting in oil and watercolor, reading about subjects, such as evolution,

religion, race relations, and Harry Potter. He was also into photography, astronomy,

biking, and gardening. Morris wants to tell everyone who he has associated with and worked

with that he enjoyed every minute of their company and companionship.

He loved his wife Genny, their daughter Gina and her spouse Stan Menth, their daughter

Teresa, their granddaughter Lindsey and her partner Nathan, their grandson Grant and his wife

Rachel, his brothers Mike and Robert, their spouses Linda and Phyllis, his sister Delores and

her spouse Tom Moore, numerous nieces and nephews, and many cousins. Also, he loved his

in-laws Gladys Brooks and Gus Fonseca, his many friends from high school, his friends at St.

Mark’s Church, the Corps retirement friends, the great Ganaden family, and many Latin friends.

He wanted to say “¡Adios amigos! Viva la vida to all.”

The visitation will be at Newcomer's Noland Road Chapel in Independence, MO, on February, 21,

2022, at 10 a.m. Services will be conducted at Newcomer's Noland Road Chapel followed by a service at Mt. Olivet

Catholic cemetery.