Richard McGrath, Jr.

Richard Allen McGrath, Jr., 59, of Overland Park, KS passed away on June 3, 2019 after an almost two-year bout with cancer. He was born November 27, 1959 in Fort Worth, Texas to Richard Allen McGrath, Sr., and Hope Marie McLemore, both deceased.

Rick lived most of his younger years in Hutchinson, Kansas and spent some of his teen years living in Vermont and Alaska. He moved to Kansas City at 18 and spent most of his adult life in the greater Kansas City area working as a manufacturing engineer, which allowed a career that took him to Naperville, Illinois for a few years before returning to Kansas City. This allowed him to travel to Europe as well. He was very passionate about engineering and loved talking about it, explaining complex processes to people in a way that they could understand. His life was a great example of faith and perseverance. He modeled a strong work ethic, encouraged his daughters to follow their passion in life and taught them to be independent.

Rick was very outgoing and didn’t know a stranger. He was a big fan of live music, enjoyed playing in pool leagues and tournaments, singing karaoke, and all friends were welcome to visit. Rick was definitely a ‘garage dweller’, known for his love of Harleys and Hot Rods. The garage was the place to gather in Rick’s world, because that was the place that all things cars and bikes lived, and the place where you could hang with your friends for hours, talking, laughing, and sharing stories. In addition to meticulously kept cars and motorcycles, also were meticulously kept toolboxes, drawers, and spare parts—and he knew exactly where everything was. If you said, ‘I need a micrometer’, Rick would say “Gray cabinet, fourth shelf, bottom right’.

Rick is survived by his wife, Nadine McGrath, and two daughters from a previous marriage, Nicole McGrath-Patti (Joe), and Lauren McGrath (Ryan), stepdaughters Jennifer Williams (Frank) and Kayla Jacques, and grandchildren Blythe, Claire, Ashtyn and Isaak, and sisters Dianna Frazier, Laura Niespolo, Maureen Phillips (David) and Julia Adams. He is also survived by Mother-in-law, Henrietta Haselhorst, Brothers-in-law Glenn (Sonya), Gary (Sandy), Kenny (Becky) Haselhorst, Sisters-in-law, Belinda (Frank) Munoz, Lila (Bill) Montgomery, Sheila (Mike) Thompson, Diane Haselhorst and Stacey Haselhorst.

Services are being held on Friday, June 7 at 11am, with family receiving visitors at 10:00 am, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 11300 West 103rd Street, Overland Park, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made directly to Nadine McGrath to be distributed to brain cancer foundations that have helped the family on this journey.