Asher Clinton Langworthy Jr.

He was born in Kansas City, Missouri on June 12, 1934 to Asher Clinton Langworthy and Georgia Feree Hodges Langworthy. He attended Prairie School and Shawnee Mission Rural High School before following his love of learning to Harvard College. There, in addition to his studies, he spent his time sailing the Charles River and overcoming his landlocked roots to become Captain of the sailing team. In Cambridge, he and his roommates pulled at least one newspaper-worthy prank and built lifelong friendships. He graduated in 1956 with a degree in government. From 1959-1962 he served in the United States Army. He loved to tell stories of the heat in Nebraska, itchy, heavy, wool uniforms, typing forms in triplicate perfectly, and learning how to turn a toilet into an explosive. He also taught himself how to cook, a skill which benefited his entire family for years to come. After his service, he began officially racing cars with the Sports Car Club of America and loved caring for and competing with his Jaguar, Lotus Super 7, MGs and Mini Coopers. Back in Kansas City, he helped run the Langworthy Companies and was justifiably proud of the work he did in creating beautiful homes, neighborhoods, and the town of Countryside to support the growing community in Johnson County.

Shortly after his discharge from the army, his college roommate introduced him to a smart, driven, and pretty graduate student at KU and they married in 1962. Audrey Hansen and Asher built their lives in Prairie Village in one of those amazing homes. He built a home for his parents, and hers, and the rest of the neighborhood where his two daughters, Kristin and Julia grew up before following his path to Harvard. In addition to his active business life, he worked on organizations as diverse as the English Speaking Union and Fontana Farms. Through the ESU, his family was able to host a legislator from Great Britain who became Chancellor of the Exchequer and gave Kristin and Julia a memorable tour of 10 Downing Street when they visited London with their parents. Fontana Farms, a hunting club, gave him an excuse to tinker with old pickup trucks, work on the dikes and create memories of Fourth of July celebrations. On the first permissible day of the hunting season, he made sure his wife and daughters were included in shooting the ducks which Audrey served at Thanksgiving. Guests were wisely admonished to be wary of ‘lucky’ buckshot.

His love of learning, and his belief that libraries are a critical resource for any community, led him to spend seven years on the Johnson County Library Board. During this time, the board worked tirelessly to expand and improve the library system. Eventually the Central Resource Library was brought into reality with the passage of a $12 million bond issue, approved by an overwhelming majority of county voters. In 1996, he became a founding member of the Johnson County Library Foundation, where he served for eleven years, four of them as president.

Asher was singularly devoted to his family. His daughters walked to his office after elementary school, took sodas out of the fridge and left drawings on his desk. His devoted secretary Sheila doted on the girls and kept him on task and organized. He did not miss a single swim or gymnastics meet, tennis match, or parent teacher conference. Even more importantly, he supported Audrey as she took the skills she honed as a volunteer leader into the Kansas political scene. At the time she was elected to the Kansas Senate, there were only four Senate husbands. Asher proudly came to the Senate Wives luncheon and contributed his recipes to the Senate Wives cookbook. He encouraged her to spend the time she needed to advocate for her constituents and focus on legislation to improve the state of Kansas. After those busy years, he and Audrey added their beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Winston, to the family.

Asher leaves behind his wife of 62 years, Audrey, his two daughters, Kristin and Julia, Kristin’s husband Mike McLaughlin and their three daughters, Megan, Amelia, and Carolyn, Julia’s husband Jeff Steinberg and their children, Peter and Margot. The grandchildren carry many happy memories of Old Grandad Sir driving the boat with them giggling on the tube behind, sending flames into the air cooking Bananas Foster for them and giving them gifts that their mothers might not have approved. Asher’s keen intellect, wry sense of humor, and quiet observations about life will be keenly missed.

Services will be held at 2pm on August 17th at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Brookside.