Randy Alan Hanschu, 68, of Kansas City, Kansas, died January 3, 2021. Randy was born July 24, 1952, in Herington, Kansas, the son and youngest child of Clinton and Frances (Batt) Hanschu. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church in Ramona, Kansas. He developed his hard work ethic growing up on a farm outside Ramona, Kansas. He graduated from Centre High School, Lost Springs, Kansas where his football stance as a linebacker earned him the nickname of “Toad” by his friends and fellow athletes. His college career included Kansas State University and Marymount College of Kansas. Being lucky lottery number 4, Randy joined the army in 1972 and was discharged in 1978. Randy worked in the battery industry for more than 4 decades. His first job in the battery industry was with General Battery which became Exide Technologies with the majority of this time in the Quality Control department. In 1988 he left Exide to go into Sales with W.R. Grace which later became Daramic Inc. He remained with Daramic in Sales for 30 years traveling to see customers in the United States as well as going to Canada, South America and Europe. He retired from Daramic in 2018 in order to enjoy his time as a retiree and grandpa.
Randy Hanschu married Jo (Malone) from Ford, Kansas, on October 1, 1978, at the Grand Avenue United Methodist Church, in Salina, Kansas. They made their homes in Salina, Kansas (1978-1988), Owensboro, Kentucky (1988-2000), and Kansas City, Kansas (2000-present). From their marriage, Randy and Jo have one daughter, Kacie Hanschu, and a granddaughter, Ryleigh Hanschu.
Randy’s mission in life seemed to be his passion for helping and offering advice to family and friends. He was always on the go as he had a hard time sitting and relaxing. He truly loved his family, friends, battery customers, gardening, small machine repairs, the Chiefs, and John Deere tractors. He loved cooking, barbecuing, gardening, and tinkering in his shop. His granddaughter, Ryleigh, was the “light of his eyes” as they shared many work projects and dance performances.
Surviving family include his wife, Jo, daughter, Kacie Hanschu, and granddaughter, Ryleigh Hanschu . Also, surviving are Randy’s sister, Sharyn and her husband, Mike Mueller; his nieces and their families Cindy and Andy Gray with her children, Bryant Beneke (Amy and Baylor) and Brittany Gonzales (Richard and Elliana); Kim Charles and her children, Meaghan and Madison Charles; and Tami and Brian Faris and their son, Graham. Randy was preceded in death by his parents.
Randy’s celebration of life, where he will receive military rights will be Monday, January 11, 2021, at 1 pm CST at the Porter Funeral Home 8535 Monrovia St., Lenexa, Kansas 66215. Like so many of us, Randy had the deepest concern for the coronavirus and cut all his running around for fear of getting or giving Covid. To honor his strong feelings the family encourages you to consider attending his funeral virtually. The service will be live streamed by Porter Funeral Home and can be viewed at www.porterfuneralhome.com. If you find it inconvenient to watch at the service time, his service will continue to be available on Porter’s website at the end of his obituary for an indefinite period of time. It should be uploaded within an hour of the service. Cards and condolences may be mailed to Jo Hanschu in care of Porter Funeral Home 8535 Monrovia St., Lenexa, Kansas 66215.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions may be made to: American Heart Association, 6800 W. 93rd St. Overland Park, KS 66212 or to the American Diabetes Association, PO Box 7023 Merrifield, VA 22116-7023.