Timothy Joseph Spexarth

Tim Spexarth, beloved by his family and countless others, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by family on Monday, June 29th after a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. Words are just not sufficient to express how much Tim will be missed. Our lives are forever changed for having known him.

Tim was born on June 27, 1960, to Ralph and Mildred Spexarth in Colwich, KS. He was the youngest child of 5, until his pesky little sister, Janelle, made 6 of it. As a boy he enjoyed spending time with his Grandpa Ben on the Spexarth family homestead. He had special relationships with many of his aunts and uncles on both sides of the family, and in this last year he enjoyed visits with his only living uncle, Leo.

After high school Tim went on to receive his Undergraduate Degree from Emporia State University and later achieved a Master’s Degree at Friends University.

As a computer programmer of 40 years at Boeing/Spirit, Tim had an analytical brain and was always turning things over and looking at them from different angles to figure them out. Anyone who met him was immediately impacted by his infectious curiosity for life and any topic or interest that crossed his path. He pursued many hobbies (baking bread, cooking in general, bowling, dancing, horseshoes, cornhole, toastmasters, bolo making, etc.). You could nearly always find him reading a new book or watching a documentary or tinkering with a project in his workshop. He really enjoyed a spirited conversation about new ideas and loved hearing different perspectives. And, in his spare time, you could find him tearing up the dance floor at Club Rodeo with his line dance crew!

He simply did not dabble in anything; if he pursued it, he was going to master it. If he was bowling, why not go ahead and bowl 2 perfect 300 games? If he was dancing, why not pursue ballroom dancing competitions or start teaching line dancing? If he was pitching shoes, why not just win the state tournament 8 times?

A huge part of Tim’s life was his faith in God. He was steadfast in his faith even when his journey became extremely difficult. The faith that he and his wife, Karen, shared was actually what brought them together as they met and later married at East Heights United Methodist Church (over 18 years ago). God had answered both of their prayers for a genuine life partner. He cherished his marriage and partnership with Karen so much. As they navigated this difficult cancer journey together, their devotion to one another was beyond beautiful and awe-inspiring.

Tim was a true servant leader. He took tremendous joy in helping and counseling others and actively sought out those opportunities. After retiring he became a volunteer at SCHICK, helping people navigate and understand the process of signing up for Medicare.

The bee became an important symbol of this servant leadership and his faith throughout his cancer journey, and it was a charm he had on his cancer bracelet. The bee stands for “Be a Blessing.” Tim did not want his battle to be for nothing. He wanted to find ways to give back to others and to be a blessing during this time.

Last, but not least, he is leaving behind a daughter, Heather, who is the luckiest person in the whole world to have had him for a dad. When it came to being a dad, he just understood the assignment. She will miss him forever and will try her best to live up to the example he left.

Tim is survived by his wife, Karen; daughter, Heather; Karen’s daughter, Terra (Ryan) and grandchildren Cora and Titus; siblings, Dianne Coleman, Duane Spexarth, Terry (Donna) Spexarth, Ken (Kim) Spexarth, and Janelle (J.J.) Barrientos.

We will be celebrating his life on Saturday, July 11th at 10:30 a.m. at East Heights Methodist Church with a luncheon to follow. Bolo ties encouraged.

The service will also be live streamed here: https://vimeo.com/user155048487