William Darrell "Bill" Colburn

William Darrell Colburn was born to Thomas F Colburn, Jr and Patricia Berigan Colburn Slavin on January 16, 1958, in New York, NY; he was the youngest of 5 boys. As the youngest, he had many stories of the shenanigans that his brothers, and he, would get into. He never had sisters, but the daughters of Henry and Nancy Quante were great surrogates and he had fond memories of times spent in their home. At the age of 17 he joined the United States Marines Corps, serving from 1975-1977. After leaving the Corps, Bill moved to the Kansas City area. It was here that he spent his life as a young man, discovering what he wanted to do as a profession, marrying and later divorcing, and making friends such as John and Angel Rinehart. It was during this time that Bill solidified his desire to work on equipment and repairing things, settling into a position as an operating engineer at the Argyle building. In 1999 he met a young lady who would become a vital part of his life, his wife Karen. They married in 2001, beginning their life together in his home in Belton. 2005 brought two major changes to their life: the Argyle building closed, and they decided to purchase a home. In true Bill and Karen style they took on finding a new job and house at the same time. They settled in a home in Independence, Missouri in March and Bill took a job as an operating engineer for Dillard’s in April. In 2007 Bill was offered the opportunity to switch from operating engineer to elevator and escalator mechanic and jumped at the opportunity. He would often say how many places would offer such an opportunity to a 50-year-old man (he wasn’t actually 50 yet, but close enough.) In 2009 he was blessed with another opportunity that doesn’t often visit 50-year-old men; he was to become a father. His son, William Darrell Colburn, Jr., was born July 31, 2010 and became the best thing to ever happen to Bill. He loved his son and was so proud, not only of him, but to be his dad. In 2013 Bill and Karen decided they wanted to raise little Bill in a rural environment and bought the “farm” in Turney, Missouri. It came as a surprise that the born and bred city boy wanted a small-town life, but Bill thoroughly enjoyed living in the country. They took on raising Labradors in 2016 and spent many evenings building dreams about what they would do with their “farm”. Bill had also developed a love of cruising, taking 3 Caribbean cruises between 2017 and 2020. He said cruising was the best vacation because you got to see new places every day and the hotel just went with you. Bill was a devoted father, husband, employee, and friend. He would do whatever he could to help out and prided himself in being dependable and knowledgeable. He loved his wife and son above anything else and worked hard to provide for them the life he believed they deserved. Bill Colburn has left an indelible mark on the lives of those he touched, taught so many things to so many people, and impacted the lives of more people than he probably even realized. His absence will leave a hole in the lives of those he touched, but his legacy will live on in the lessons he taught. A funeral service will be held at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at the Carson-Speaks Chapel, 1501 W. Lexington Ave., Independence, MO 64052, with cremation to follow. The family will greet friends following the services at the chapel. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.speakschapel.com (Arrangements: Carson-Speaks Chapel (816) 252-7900)