Ralph Eugene "Gene" Burt, III, 74, of Overland Park, KS, passed away Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at the University of Kansas Hospital surrounded by his loving family. The visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m. followed by the Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM Thursday, April 4, 2024 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park, KS. Burial in Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, KS. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society.
Born Ralph Eugene Burt, III, he decided to be called Gene like his father.
Gene had red hair like his two younger brothers and red freckled skin. He used to think he had a tan, but actually his freckles had just run together.
Gene and his 12 cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma's and grandpa's, all lived in Kansas City, Kansas, and had many good times playing together, and enjoying many happy family gatherings.
Gene's family moved to Connecticut while he was in high school, but he moved back to Kansas to go to KU, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity.
After the death of his grandpa, Gene bought Waco Scaffold and owned it for 35 years.
In 1977, Gene married Martha Doggett at the Leawood United Methodist Church.
Their 3 daughters, Colleen, Katie and Molly followed. He loved his girls, taking them to soccer, basketball and softball practice, Christmas Masses and fishing. Gene loved taking his family on vacations. The family went to Maine many times and to Connecticut, Florida, Virginia, Austin, Houston, Dallas, California, Cape Cod, MA, Lawrence, Colorado, Santa Fe, NM, Canada and Ireland, He adored our four dogs, always taking them on walks and they loved him for it.
One of his favorite outings was going to the gym where he could lift more weight than any of those “young boys.”
Gene was a devout Catholic, and having grown up in the Catholic Church he attended Daily Mass. He was a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church.
He had been a volunteer at the WW I Museum, where he had completed 2,000 hours of service and was awarded a gold pin.
Gene had a wonderful sense of humor. On birthday's, birthday presents could only be found by following clues all over the house, finding them even in the washing machine! One year there were animal pajamas for the women or silly hats for everyone.
Cancer finally took him after 8 1/2 years! Gene never complained about the numerous rounds of chemo, surgeries, procedures and doctors’ visits. If he was in the hospital he could be seen "walking" laps around the hospital, but if he was not allowed to walk his circles, a pillow might be seen flying through the air as it was being hurled at a nurse.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph Eugene "Gene" Burt, Jr. and Mary Teresa (Quinlan) Burt. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Martha, his 3 daughters and their spouses, Colleen and Eric Bloom, Katie and Ben Thompson, Molly Burt, 2 brothers and their spouses, Dan and Deb Burt, Tim and Joan Burt and his three grandchildren, Beau, Addie and Graham.