Graham G. "Scrappy" Giblin, Sr.

Graham G. "Scrap" Giblin, Sr., 79, of Leawood, Kan., passed away at his home surrounded by his family, Friday, June 11, 2010. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 14, 10 a.m., at Church of the Nativity, 3800 W. 119th, Leawood, Kan., with burial following in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Visitation will be held Sunday, June 13, at the McGilley State Line Chapel, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., where the rosary will be said at 6:30 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Health Care Odyssey, 800 E. 101st Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64131, or the American Cancer Society , 6700 Antioch Road, Suite 100, Merriam, KS 66204. Scrap was born July 12, 1930, in Detroit, Mich., to Cornelius J. Giblin and Marguerite Graham. He got his nickname "Scrappy" when he was born, the nurse said scrappy ones like him usually don't survive. He attended Rockhurst High School, Rockhurst College, Creighton University and The American Institute of Banking. He was a member of the U.S. Air Force, serving at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb. He married Barbara Axtell in 1954. Scrap was a buyer for Kline Department Store of Kansas City, Mo., for seven years. He was a successful banker, becoming the executive vice president of the Grandview Bank. He also worked at Laurel, Mid Continent and First Continental banks. Scrap retired from banking in 1992 and later became a Realtor and real estate appraiser. He was a Leawood City councilman from 1992-1996, representing Ward 4. Scrap was the director of the Grandview Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce. He was president of the Grandview Kiwanis Club, the Jaycees and the Lions Club; he served on the board of directors of Jackson County Public Water District #1. Scrap was a life member of the Leawood Foundation. He was a sponsor of Ducks Unlimited, and a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation and Quail Unlimited. Scrap was a great gardener and grew the most beautiful roses every year. He was a gentleman farmer, running 120 head of cattle for 15 years. Scrap and his wife Barbara enjoyed raising St. Bernards and at one time had 23 roaming the farm. Scrap was an avid outdoorsman whose hobbies included hunting, fishing and scuba diving. His wing shooting skills were legendary, and he could shoot his old model 12 pump shotgun as fast as an automatic. Every weekend during duck season was spent at the "Eighty" at Swan Lake, hunting ducks and geese with his sons, grandsons and friends. Scrap was an "old school" scuba diver, getting certified in the early 1960s. He was fortunate to dive all over the world in places before they became too commercial, including Grand Caymen, Cozumel, Bahamas, British Honduras, Virgin Islands, Truk Lagoon in Micronesia and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. He once speared a 10-foot shark and dove 230 feet and retrieved some black coral. Scrap was part owner of the Dive Shop at Ranch Mart Shopping Center in the early 1970s. Scrap was a man of deep faith, attending mass nearly everyday for over 30 years. He prayed the rosary daily and was a Eucharistic minister. In addition to his parents, Scrap was preceded in death by his brother, Jim; sister Marjorie Herrmann; son Bill in 1979, and his daughter Anne Davis in 2005. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Barbara; son Graham, Jr. and his wife Shawn, and son Jim. He also leaves four grandsons, Graham III, Danny Giblin, Brandon Davis and his wife Lena, Jason Davis, and many friends. He will be dearly missed.