Gregory John Eischen

Gregory John Eischen, 86 of Lee’s Summit, MO passed away Monday January 1, 2024 at The Princeton Senior Living Center.  Mass of Christian burial services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, January 8, 2024 at the St. Mark Catholic Church, 3736 S. Lee’s Summit Rd., Independence, MO 64055 with cremation to follow.  Private family inurnment will be held in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Raytown.  The family will greet friends from 10 am until service time Monday at the church.  Donations may be made in his name to St. Mark Catholic Church or to Ascend Hospice. 

Gregory was born October 23, 1937 in Hastings, MN to John and Margaret (Stoffel) Eischen. He attended DeVry Technical Institute. He had worked for over 30 years for AT&T and retired as a supervisor in 1989.  He re-entered the workforce as a contractor for Sprint. He was a member of St. Mark Catholic Church for more than 56 years.

As a young man, Greg enjoyed archery and bowling. Later in life, he enjoyed playing golf, fishing, reading and visits from his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He enjoyed his “fishing buddies” and their numerous fishing trips to Bull Shoals. He was a great handyman, landscaper and mechanic, willing to tackle most any home improvement project, landscaping job, or  small repair before calling in the professionals. He became a very good cook and loved trying out new recipes. He gave of his time working for Habitat for Humanity, until back issues forced him to hang up his hammer. He was a Youth Friends mentor at Sycamore Hills Elementary School for more than 10 years. He worked at the St. Joseph Table at St. Marks for years, starting as a lunch baker and grocery shopper, eventually moving up to a co-chair. He helped serve meals at the Stone Church and pack food at Harvesters. In his spare time he watched Westerns - “Gunsmoke” was his favorite.

He met his future bride through mutual friends and became a husband on September 1, 1962. Joan will remember him as her rock, the one person she could always lean on and to be the calm to her worry. God would test that calm demeanor, blessing them with three daughters. After the birth of their 2nd daughter, the family moved to Independence, MO where they purchased the house that would be their home for 56 years. He was a modern-day dad in a mid-century world; he gladly changed diapers, fed bottles and read stories to his baby girls. As they grew older, he continued to nurture them.  In the late 70s, he joined the Oto tribe as part of the YMCA’s Indian Princess father/ daughter program where he was known as Big Shooting Star. When his girls were old enough he would shoot baskets, play catch and pass a volleyball with them, depending on the season. He was an avid cheerleader at all of their sporting events. He was the go-to guy for any and all math tutoring among the girls, although his patience was often severely tested.

He loved his grandchildren and relished his visits with them, starting with Alaina in 1981 and continuing to his great-grandson and namesake, little Gregory, today. “Poppy,” as he was lovingly known, was the chief book reader for all of them and there is picture proof to back that up! Every one of them will remember Poppy picking them up by their ears, a favorite game that had them all giggling.  Some of the grandchildren will say they remember the stories he told of his youth. Others will remember the way his car smelled: some indescribable mixture of after shave, cigar smoke and tree air fresheners. And others will remember vacations to Branson or the “Big One” to Disney World that he gifted to us. But all will say that he loved. Not in words, he was a man of few, but by actions and by his presence. Greg, Dad, Poppy you are loved and you will be missed.

He is survived by; his loving wife of 61 years, Joan, of the home; 3 daughters, Lisa Spotts and husband Bill of Independence, MO, Susan Zimmermann and husband John of Lee’s Summit, MO and Nancy Pouncil of Independence, MO; a brother, Bernard Eischen and wife Kay of Hastings, MN; 2 sisters-in-law, Linda Odland and husband Richard of Stillwater, MN and Jeannie McDonald of South St. Paul, MN; 8 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Edward Eischen.

There will be a Livestream broadcast of Greg’s service on youtube under St. Mark Catholic Church

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.speakschapel.com (Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel (816) 373-3600)