William W. Mahood, Jr.

William Wallace Mahood Jr., 92, passed away suddenly at home on April 14^th, 2024 with his wife and son at his side. He was born November 8^th, 1931, the only child of William W. Sr. and Lilian Esther (Bracken) in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. His father worked at Armor, later, the “bomber plant” and then General Motors – all three in the same job and in the same building, where he managed the building maintenance. Bill got his mechanical skills from his father, an immigrant from Ireland. Bill was proud of his Irish heritage.  As a boy, his extended family would gather at his grandparents’ home for “beef roast on Sundays” - a tradition Bill liked to continue and enjoy. He attended Mark Twain Elementary and graduated from Wyandotte High School. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kansas State University before entering the US Air Force, serving as an officer in San Marcos, TX where he became enamored with all things airplanes, cowboys and oil– all of which he referred to fondly as the “days of wine and roses.”  After discharge from the Air Force, he worked as a salesman for US Steel in Minnesota where he met and married  Leora (Gelhar) Mahood in 1964. To this union his only child, William W. Mahood III, was born.   Their union ended amicably in 1989. 

Bill moved his family back to Kansas in 1969, taking a new job within US Steel. He built a home in Overland Park off of 103^rd Street when it was just two dirt ruts with grass in between.  After US Steel, he retrained himself as a flatwork concrete estimator, starting at Cutshall Construction.  He worked  for  various companies including a nearly 20 year stint with George J Shaw Construction. In 1998, he married his college friend’s sister, Bonnie Marti Mahood, and started his retirement in 2013. They spent many years following K-State sports with his ATO fraternity buddies from their Overland Park home.

Bill is survived at the home by his beloved wife, Bonnie.  He was a proud father to William (Michelle) Mahood (Overland Park), proud grandfather to Kristen (Jack) Bloomfield (Dallas, Texas), Cpt. Kellen Mahood (Ft. Polk/Johnson, Louisiana,) and a newly minted great-grandfather to Henry Bloomfield. He was also blessed with step-children Kristie (Steve) Tusinger (Joplin), step-grandchildren Zach (Hailey) Tusinger (St Louis) and Abby (Matt) Taylor (Nashville), and step-great grandchildren Benton and Elsie, and Hazel and Juniper. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his stepdaughter Lorie and husband Glenn Holland in 2011 in Joplin, Missouri.

Bill will be remembered for his cheerful grin, timely wisdom and love of young people, babies, Spanish guitar and Willie Nelson. For those he loved, he never forfeited an opportunity to dream big on their behalf. Over the years, many of the dreams that began in his moleskin notebook manifested themselves in the lives of his children and grandchildren. Nevertheless, his love for the simple things in life was a calming presence. He never tired of peaceful drives through the Flint Hills, cheering on the K-State Wildcats, and sharing a meal with Bonnie, especially if that involved a good steak. He was a lifelong learner, always reading up on the stock market, trends in oil and gas, and ranch management.  He spent endless hours researching colleges and graduate schools for his kids and grandkids. Like his moleskin notebook, his long life was filled with endless things to be proud of.

Visitation will be 3-4:30pm Sunday April 21, 2024 at the Overland Park Funeral Home, 8201 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS 66204 followed by a funeral service at 4:30.  Graveside service with Military Honors will take place Monday, April 22 at the National Cemetery in Fort Scott, Kansas at 10:00am.