Richard Lionel Greiner

Memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 21, at Raintree Community Church, 101 SW Raintree Drive, Lee’s Summit, MO 64082. Private interment will be in Highland Cemetery, Ottawa, KS.

Dick loved for his endearing smile, mischievous remarks and kind heart was born in Beloit though grew up in Olathe, Kansas. The only child of Elbert Greiner (local grocer) and Olive Lynch (neighborhood Avon lady and long time Methodist Sunday School teacher), Dick enjoyed loving and doting parents.

After graduating from Ottawa High School and with great aspirations of becoming a pilot, Dick enlisted in the Army Air Corps, December 27, 1943, at the age of 18. Though pilot positions were full by the time Dick completed basic training, he still encountered combat from the air as a ball-turret gunner on the infamous B-17s. Stationed in Foggia, Italy, Dick flew with the 15th Air Force into Germany, Czechoslovakia, and in Austria. March of 1945 Dick completed his tour of required missions, 38 days before Germany surrendered.

With the war over, Dick returned to finish a college degree in 1953 at Ottawa University. Dick was not one to do anything hastily and college was no exception taking about nine years to graduate. Dick eventually found his career in banking and worked his way up from cashier, loan officer, to assistant Vice-President until taking a position as a bank examiner at the KC Federal Reserve bank which he held for 17 years until he retired.

Retirement allotted Dick to do many “honey-do” projects, tinker, travel, listen to Stan Kenton jazz and enjoy his two grandsons. Dick enjoyed retelling his heroic adventures, which got his stories told in local newspapers.

Dick is survived by his wife of 63 years, Lou Ellen, who will miss his devotion and companionship; Pamela and David, his daughter and son-in-law who will miss his engaging storytelling and unconditional love; Simeon and Seth, his twin grandsons who will miss times fishing, listening to jazz, making fires and roasting marshmallows with Grandpa.