Patricia Jo Anne Bear

Patricia J. Bear passed away at home on July 5, 2025 at age 101. She was born in Carleton, NE to John and Lottie Kemper. She was the youngest of three girls. Pat cherished her hometown and was very sad when she moved to Morrill, KS at age 14. She attended as many class reunions in Carleton as possible, the last at age 94. In her late 20’s she moved to Kansas City and when she got a job at Hallmark Cards, she met her husband Henry. They were married 55 years and had three children. Pat loved children, animals, maintaining her yard and hanging out with her dear neighbors.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sisters Mary (Kemper) Voter and Jeanne (Kemper) Saffier; sister-in-law Gracie (Bear) Banks; brothers-in-law Robert Lawrence, Sr., Charles “Bud” Banks, and Sherman Saffier; niece Cheryl (Banks) Lyon; nephews Robert Voter, David Merrill, Robert Lawrence Jr., John Banks and Steve Lyon; and great nephew Evan Banks.

She is survived by her daughter Kari Vergouven (Doug) of Harrisonville, MO; sons Roger Bear of Kansas City, MO, and Rodney Bear of Raytown, MO; sister-in-law Mary Ann (Bear) Lawrence of Portland, OR; granddaughters Dawn Ackley (Brandon) of Raymore, MO and Haley Wylde (Jonathan) of Harrisonville, MO; great grandson Ben Ackley; great granddaughters Ryleigh Yahnig (Josh), Reygan Ackley and Charlee Wylde; great great granddaughter Leni; nieces Patricia Merrill, Amy Creighton, Barbara Stegmaier, Linda Dye, and Sharman Saffier; nephews, Ken Banks, Sandon, Jim, Tim, and John Saffier; and many great and great great nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors.

A Visitation will be held from 3pm-5pm Monday, July 21, 2025 with a Memorial Service to follow at 5pm at McGilley George Funeral Home, 12913 Grandview Road, Grandview, MO 64030. A Celebration of Life block party will be held at a date to be determined later. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Brighton Hospice, 4200 Little Blue Parkway, Suite 570, Independence, MO 64057 or Wayside Waifs, 3901 Martha Truman Road, Kansas City, MO 64137.