1945
James
2017
James Stinnett
September 28, 1945 — January 13, 2017
Dan Stinnett
James Daniel Stinnett of Leawood died on January 13, 2017. Dan was born on September 28, 1945 in Great Falls, Montana to Myrle and Vera (Roddick) Stinnett. His youth was spent in Staunton, Illinois near his extended family. After high school, he attended Vanderbilt University graduating in 1967. At Vanderbilt he joined Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and developed some life-long friendships. He was able to stay in touch with close friends for the rest of his life.
Following graduation he set off to fulfill his life-long goal of becoming a lawyer. In 1967 he enrolled at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. His law career was interrupted in 1969 by two years of service in the United States Army. It was also in this period that he met and married the love of his life Linda Vera Gaebler. Dan was noted for making the right decisions, but he would tell you that his best decision was to ask Linda to marry him.
He passed the Missouri Bar in September 1972 and went to work in private practice. In 1975 he left private practice to join the legal staff of Commerce Bancshares. As Dan often said, it was another good decision because it allowed him to apply his education and abilities to solving problems for one of the most respected banks in the country. He was recognized as an expert in banking regulations in an era that saw significant expansion of governmental oversight. He frequently was asked to speak on legal and banking issues at conferences and seminars. He was a founding member of the American Bankers Association General Counsel Group and served a term as its Chairman. He retired from Commerce in July 2009 as its General Counsel and Secretary. Shortly after his retirement he accepted an offer from Husch Blackwell to serve as Of Counsel to the firm and served in that capacity until 2015. Dan felt honored to have spent the majority of his legal career working for two outstanding Kansas City institutions.
Dan and Linda shared many things during their life together, especially raising their two sons Doug and David. When the boys became active in scouting, Dan volunteered as an adult leader and served in many unit roles. They enjoyed camping and Dan was a leader for two different trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Dan made multiple trips to summer camp at H. Roe Bartle and was recognized as an Honorary Warrior in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.
Dan and Linda loved to travel. Many trips involved the whole family but the travel increased once they became empty nesters. One of the most memorable family trips was a trip to Holland with his parents, children, sister and nephew to visit Mia Lelivelt. Mia and her father were with the Dutch Underground in WWII and hid Dan’s father after his B-17 was shot down. Hawaii was also a favorite destination. On one trip Linda learned to surf and Dan hiked across lava fields to view an eruption of Kilauea spilling into the ocean. The highlight vacation was a 2012 trip to the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos brought out the naturalist in Dan. The unspoiled environment allowed him to get close to animals that are not found anywhere else in the World and was a real joy.
Dan and Linda shared an interest in gardening and landscaping. Together they spent many hours on landscape of the home they owned in old Leawood. They designed a large water feature with a stream and pool that was the highlight of the large lot and it was disappointing to both of them to have to move to a house with a smaller yard in 2012.
Dan had broad and eclectic interests and was intellectually curious. Whenever he came across a topic that interested him, he would attempt to learn everything about it. But his most passionate interest was working with bird dogs. He loved all dogs, but like his father and grandfather, he enjoyed watching dogs perform what they were bred to do. He was an avid upland bird hunter but later expanded into field trial competitions. Although Dan liked to hunt, it became secondary to his concern for the loss of habitat and he was just as satisfied watching wildlife and attending field trials. He was fortunate to breed and own four generations of Champion German Shorthaired Pointers, Rocky, Katie, Annie and Dusty, his current companion. He was a board member of the Heart of America German Shorthaired Pointer Club for many years and served on the board of the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America. He developed many cherished friendships through his involvement with bird dogs, but none greater than the relationship he had with friend Jon Hann.
When Dan received the gift of fly-fishing lessons, a pursuit that he had always talked about, fly-fishing became another pastime. His favorite catch-and-release fly-fishing experiences were with Doug and David in Colorado. He believed in the saying that you “don’t fly fish in ugly places”.
Dan’s love of nature led to his concern with its protection. He loved searching and watching wildlife. When a banded-in-the wild peregrine falcon landed on his office ledge, he helped set the wheels in motion that eventually led to the planned releases of peregrine falcons in downtown Kansas City. The falcons were released from a hacking box located atop the Commerce Bank Building.
Dan was also an avid genealogist. This interest coincided with his lifelong study of history.
His diagnosis in late 2011 of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis eventually curtailed almost all of Dan’s interests. But it did not end his intellectual curiosity. He learned all he could about a disease that has no cure and pursued all available treatments that would extend his quality of life. He made it his mission to help others cope with their diagnoses.
Dan is survived by his wife, Linda; sons: Douglas Michael and David James; mother, Vera Stinnett; sister, Linda (Ken)Williams; sister-in-law, Lynn Gaebler; niece, Christina (Dan) Breedlove and nephews: Brad (Angie)Gaebler, Rob Evans and Daniel Evans; 3 great nephews and 3 great nieces; sister-in-law, Lynn Gaebler; 6 cousins and many friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Myrle Stinnett and brother-in-law, Gordon Gaebler.
A memorial service to celebrate Dan’s Life will be 3:00pm Thursday January 19, 2017 at Asbury United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Asbury United Methodist Church, 5400 W. 75th St. Prairie Village, KS 66208; Wayside Waifs, 3901 Martha Truman Rd, KCMO 64137 or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 East Ohio Street, Suite 500, Chicago, Illinois, 60611.
James Daniel Stinnett of Leawood died on January 13, 2017. Dan was born on September 28, 1945 in Great Falls, Montana to Myrle and Vera (Roddick) Stinnett. His youth was spent in Staunton, Illinois near his extended family. After high school, he attended Vanderbilt University graduating in 1967. At Vanderbilt he joined Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and developed some life-long friendships. He was able to stay in touch with close friends for the rest of his life.
Following graduation he set off to fulfill his life-long goal of becoming a lawyer. In 1967 he enrolled at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. His law career was interrupted in 1969 by two years of service in the United States Army. It was also in this period that he met and married the love of his life Linda Vera Gaebler. Dan was noted for making the right decisions, but he would tell you that his best decision was to ask Linda to marry him.
He passed the Missouri Bar in September 1972 and went to work in private practice. In 1975 he left private practice to join the legal staff of Commerce Bancshares. As Dan often said, it was another good decision because it allowed him to apply his education and abilities to solving problems for one of the most respected banks in the country. He was recognized as an expert in banking regulations in an era that saw significant expansion of governmental oversight. He frequently was asked to speak on legal and banking issues at conferences and seminars. He was a founding member of the American Bankers Association General Counsel Group and served a term as its Chairman. He retired from Commerce in July 2009 as its General Counsel and Secretary. Shortly after his retirement he accepted an offer from Husch Blackwell to serve as Of Counsel to the firm and served in that capacity until 2015. Dan felt honored to have spent the majority of his legal career working for two outstanding Kansas City institutions.
Dan and Linda shared many things during their life together, especially raising their two sons Doug and David. When the boys became active in scouting, Dan volunteered as an adult leader and served in many unit roles. They enjoyed camping and Dan was a leader for two different trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Dan made multiple trips to summer camp at H. Roe Bartle and was recognized as an Honorary Warrior in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.
Dan and Linda loved to travel. Many trips involved the whole family but the travel increased once they became empty nesters. One of the most memorable family trips was a trip to Holland with his parents, children, sister and nephew to visit Mia Lelivelt. Mia and her father were with the Dutch Underground in WWII and hid Dan’s father after his B-17 was shot down. Hawaii was also a favorite destination. On one trip Linda learned to surf and Dan hiked across lava fields to view an eruption of Kilauea spilling into the ocean. The highlight vacation was a 2012 trip to the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos brought out the naturalist in Dan. The unspoiled environment allowed him to get close to animals that are not found anywhere else in the World and was a real joy.
Dan and Linda shared an interest in gardening and landscaping. Together they spent many hours on landscape of the home they owned in old Leawood. They designed a large water feature with a stream and pool that was the highlight of the large lot and it was disappointing to both of them to have to move to a house with a smaller yard in 2012.
Dan had broad and eclectic interests and was intellectually curious. Whenever he came across a topic that interested him, he would attempt to learn everything about it. But his most passionate interest was working with bird dogs. He loved all dogs, but like his father and grandfather, he enjoyed watching dogs perform what they were bred to do. He was an avid upland bird hunter but later expanded into field trial competitions. Although Dan liked to hunt, it became secondary to his concern for the loss of habitat and he was just as satisfied watching wildlife and attending field trials. He was fortunate to breed and own four generations of Champion German Shorthaired Pointers, Rocky, Katie, Annie and Dusty, his current companion. He was a board member of the Heart of America German Shorthaired Pointer Club for many years and served on the board of the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America. He developed many cherished friendships through his involvement with bird dogs, but none greater than the relationship he had with friend Jon Hann.
When Dan received the gift of fly-fishing lessons, a pursuit that he had always talked about, fly-fishing became another pastime. His favorite catch-and-release fly-fishing experiences were with Doug and David in Colorado. He believed in the saying that you “don’t fly fish in ugly places”.
Dan’s love of nature led to his concern with its protection. He loved searching and watching wildlife. When a banded-in-the wild peregrine falcon landed on his office ledge, he helped set the wheels in motion that eventually led to the planned releases of peregrine falcons in downtown Kansas City. The falcons were released from a hacking box located atop the Commerce Bank Building.
Dan was also an avid genealogist. This interest coincided with his lifelong study of history.
His diagnosis in late 2011 of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis eventually curtailed almost all of Dan’s interests. But it did not end his intellectual curiosity. He learned all he could about a disease that has no cure and pursued all available treatments that would extend his quality of life. He made it his mission to help others cope with their diagnoses.
Dan is survived by his wife, Linda; sons: Douglas Michael and David James; mother, Vera Stinnett; sister, Linda (Ken)Williams; sister-in-law, Lynn Gaebler; niece, Christina (Dan) Breedlove and nephews: Brad (Angie)Gaebler, Rob Evans and Daniel Evans; 3 great nephews and 3 great nieces; sister-in-law, Lynn Gaebler; 6 cousins and many friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Myrle Stinnett and brother-in-law, Gordon Gaebler.
A memorial service to celebrate Dan’s Life will be 3:00pm Thursday January 19, 2017 at Asbury United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Asbury United Methodist Church, 5400 W. 75th St. Prairie Village, KS 66208; Wayside Waifs, 3901 Martha Truman Rd, KCMO 64137 or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 East Ohio Street, Suite 500, Chicago, Illinois, 60611.
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