Joe Lock

Joseph Michael Lock, 79, Overland Park, passed away November 7, 2019, at Brookdale Senior Living in Raymore, Missouri, after a long and courageous battle with Multiple Sclerosis.  Visitation will be 10 -11 am Thursday, November 14th at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 14251 Nall Ave. Leawood, Kansas 66223. A Funeral Mass will follow at 11 am.  Burial will take place in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, 9501 W. 159th St. Overland Park, Kansas 66221 immediately following the funeral mass.

Joe was born on October 11, 1940, the oldest of eleven children, in Carrollton, Missouri to Albert and Clara (Dolly) Lock. He attended high school at Conception Abbey Seminary in Conception, Missouri, and St. John Vianney Seminary in Elkhorn, Nebraska.  He graduated from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri. After graduating, he met his wife, Patricia Ann Slezak, and they married June 23, 1962.  They had two daughters Kimberly (Kim) and Sally.

Joe owned Leonard Brothers Trucking Company for several years. Joe was a true entrepreneur. He opened an ice-cream and popcorn shop in the popular River Quay district in Kansas City in the 1970s.

He retired at age 50 due to his diagnosis with MS. During that time, he enjoyed golfing, traveling with family, watching football and KU Basketball, and listening to country music. He taught Religious Education for years at Cure of Ars parish as a volunteer.  He never missed Catholic Mass, and he could always find the family a Catholic church to attend while on vacation. Additionally, he always supported the community.

Joe became involved with the MS Society before he was diagnosed with MS. He got a call from the MS Society to donate trucks to haul the bikes back from the Bike MS 150 which has turned out to be the society’s #1 fundraiser. He graciously did that for several years only to find he was paying forward. After his diagnosis, he still went to the finish line of the race to supervise while he still could.

In his later years, he read the Kansas City Star, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal from cover to cover, watched Mass every week on the Hallmark channel and LOVED watching football on TV and videos of his grandchildren playing their sports and activities.

Joe, aka “Poppi” was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.  People would ask him how he was doing and his response was always, “Better than I deserve to be.” Joe was so loving, calm and laid back, never complained even when he was in pain, always positive, a role model for his children and grandchildren by telling them to “always do their best and never give up.”  He would take the shirt off his back for anyone in need.

The family would like to extend gratitude and thanks to Joe’s friends at Brookdale Hospice and Brookdale Care Center. He was so content these last several months and enjoyed waving to all the residents and staff. Joe will be sorely missed by his family and many friends.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Clara (Dolly) Lock, Father-in-Law and Mother-in-law, Frank and Laura Slezak and sister-in-law Sally Porter.

Survivors include: his wife of 58 years Pat Lock, daughters: Kim Bittner (Ernie) of Overland Park and Sally Woodward (Greg) of Andover, Kansas; and four grandchildren: Jacob Bittner, Jadon Bittner, Nicolas (Nic)  Woodward, and Lola Woodward; five brothers and five sisters: Anne Duderstadt (James) of Ann Arbor Michigan, John (Jan)of Overland Park, Kansas, Robert of Carrollton Missouri, Charles of Carrollton Missouri, Shirley Boyd (Paul) of Temple, Texas, Timothy (Iva Jean) of Carrollton, Missouri, Beverly Richardson (Rod) of Carrollton, Missouri, Jeffrey (Tracy) of Carrollton, Missouri, Susan of Carrollton, Missouri, and Carolyn Dent (Bill) of Mansfield, Texas, Brother-in-law Tom Slezak and 32 nieces and nephews as well as many cousins and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Joe Lock to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/Donation2?df_id=55995&55995.donation=form1