Leo F. Storm

Leo F. Storm, 95, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2023, surrounded by family.  A rosary will be said at 8:45am followed by visitation at 9:00 am, Friday, February 24, 2023, with a 10:00 am Celebration of Life mass following, at St. Agnes Catholic Church, located at 5250 Mission Road, Roeland Park, KS.  A graveside service will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery, 1150 N 38^th ST, Kansas City, KS.   Leo was an amazing man, a long-term parishioner of St. Agnes and a proud and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.  Leo’s parents were Volga Germans, who had 13 kids and emigrated to the U.S from Russia in the 1920’s.  He grew up in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas and always had a strong connection to KCK.  He went to grade school at St Peter’s and high school at Wyandotte. 

Leo was an accomplished athlete, a high school state swimming champion, a semi-pro baseball player and one of the region’s top handball players; he was inducted into the Missouri Handball Hall of Fame.  Leo met the love of his life, Elizabeth Rolheiser (Betty Ann) in KCK and they were married in 1954.  They had 5 sons, Mitch, Gary, Dave, Eric and Tommy.   Tommy, the youngest brother, tragically died in an accident in 1990.  The 4 boys are all married Mitch and Val, Gary and Janice, Dave and Rosemary and Eric and Emily.  From the boy’s families, Leo has a total of nine grandchildren (some married), Mindy (Michael), Scott (Sara), Patrick (Becky), Chris, Audrey (Joey), Zac, Jackie, Ali and Tommy.  Leo has five great grandchildren, Scott and Sara have Ruby, Eloise, Millie and Leo (named after Papa Leo).  Patrick and Becky have Louise.

Leo built a house in Westwood, KS near St Agnes in 1960 with the help of Betty’s father and brothers who were home builders, he lived there until late 2022 when he moved to an assisted living facility in Mission, KS.  Leo and Betty raised the boys in that house, became mainstays in the parish and the community and made countless close and loyal friends over the years. Leo worked at Colgate-Palmolive in KCK for 42 years and continued to stay involved with his lifelong Colgate friends until his last days.

The 5 boys made parenting a challenge but Betty and Leo hit their stride when the boys got married, and  had children.  They were loving, highly engaged and ever proud grandparents of the 9 lucky grandkids.  Beloved Mom, Grandma Betty passed away too soon in 2014, leaving Leo to carry on without her by his side.  Life was never the quite the same, but Leo’s spirit and love of family and friends kept life meaningful and happy until he passed.

Leo had a zest for people and living.  He found happiness in his family, friends and even causal acquaintances.  He is leaving this world a much better place because of the good man that he was.