Ira E. Donnell

A Visitation will be held Saturday, December 6, 2025 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO. A Funeral Service will follow at the same location at 12:00 noon. A Committal Service will follow services in Mount Moriah Cemetery South.

Ira was born October 30, 1935, in Kansas City, MO to Edward and Anna Donnell. He married the love of his life, Elizabeth “Joyce” Letzig on January 15th, 1955.

He served in the US Army Reserves attaining the rank of Sgt. until he was discharged December 1st, 1962. He was also active in the local Civil Defense for several years, and would drive an old WWII ambulance and serve lunch to the military members working the Operation Handshake Air Shows at Richards-Gebaur AFB. He worked most of his career at Bendix, which became Allied Signal on Bannister Road. He eventually ended up in the Metrology Lab where he stayed until his retirement in 1997.

For many years while living at their house on Norby Road in Grandview, he would tend a large garden, loved grilling for picnics for the family, especially the 4th of July, and enjoyed tinkering in his shop. He also loved to travel, taking vacations all over the country with family and friends. He was always ready to lend a helping hand either to work on someone’s house, repair or paint a car or truck, or anything else that might need attention. He also enjoyed going to the New Theatre and Restaurant over the last two years and always made a point to go to as many family birthdays, picnics and events as he could possibly attend.

He remained active and independent after the passing of his wife, keeping the yard mowed and manicured around his home right up until he had a heart episode in early October of this year. He was able to return home just before his 90th birthday, and remained home until his passing on December 2nd.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce, his parents Anna and “Hap” Donnell, mother and father-in-law, Lillian and Walter Letzig, and sisters, Betty and “Bud” Park and Sylvia and Danny Meek. Survivors include sons David (Roberta) of Harrisonville and Dean (DeAnn) of Belton, MO, nine grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren with another “on the way” plus a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.