James (Jim) D. Slaven, 85, passed away on July 20, 2021, surrounded, as he lived his life, by family. Jim was a dedicated husband, and father to 6 children, grandfather to 21, and great-grandfather to 9. Family, friends, and business partners alike know that engaging with Jim meant expanding your understanding of what was possible -- and he had lots of ideas for how to get you there. 

An entrepreneur from the start, Jim sought his first job when he was just an 8-years old boy in Kansas City, helping an elderly neighbor on College Avenue with yardwork. Beyond the loose change he made for cutting grass and pulling weeds, Jim remembered sitting with this neighbor on her front porch after work and looking at her collection of stamps -- many of which illustrated the early history of America and other countries, as well. This sharing of stamps served as an early awakening experience for Jim; it tuned him into an awareness of people and places and experiences beyond his small neighborhood. He started noticing these differences around him, like the newspapers discarded by a local Chinese laundry that were written in a language he didn’t understand, but took interest in. He spent the rest of his life discovering and deep diving into new ideas and experiences, and dedicated his latter years to doing the same for his grandchildren. 

Tall, reserved, and extraordinarily focused, Jim was a consistent presence at basketball games, golf tournaments, football matches -- if someone in his family was on the team, he was there to support. His quiet nature gave his encouragements that much more impact. He had a love for the game, but he also was savvy and saw sports as a pathway to scholarship. When he was 12, he participated in a Boys Club Soap Box Derby. The derby rules emphasized the use of hand tools only and no outside help. His first year, he lost sorely. But he was keen to do better and rebuilt his car for the following year’s contest, where he won several races and got to take home a basketball as a prize. That basketball was the first in his neighborhood, and initiated the game for a number of boys in the alley of College Avenue. He saw two of these neighborhood friends grow up to play basketball on scholarship at university.

Jim’s own path to a college education wasn’t as direct: he put in a couple of years at junior college while also working at an engineering firm to save money to pay tuition. In 1957, he married the great love of his life, Donna (Blunk), and finished his degree in civil engineering at Kansas University, while also supporting their growing family. The time and energy Jim invested in gaining his college education instilled in him a deep respect for hard work, thoughtfully-considered decisions (he graduated during a recession, when jobs were hard to come by, but civil engineers had their pick), and the KU Jayhawks. 

Jim and Donna built a life for their 6 children together, following opportunity where it presented. In the mid-1960’s, they moved their young family to Ohio for a few years while Jim led the development of several housing projects in the suburbs. Jim and Donna had a strong sense of adventure (realized through many, many road trips over the years, including one cross-country trip in a 1939 Ford Coupe for the Great Race!), but they always knew they wanted to settle and raise their kids in Kansas City. 

The Kansas City area is where Jim really made his mark as an engineer and project director. He was a key player in highly visible and lasting projects, like Lenexa Municipal buildings & Brookridge pools in the early 1970s. Not only did he project direct the Woodside Racquet Club in Westwood, KS, he also brought his kids on board to weed whack around the courts and stuff mailers for a penny a piece, instilling a strong work ethic from the get-go.  Jim launched Corporate Woods as project director in the early 1970’s - mid 1980’s, which was significant as the first development of its kind south of I-435 and contributed to a commercial and residential boom in Overland Park. Jim was involved in the Deer Creek developments, including apartment complexes in Shawnee and Overland Park in the mid 1980’s - mid 1990’s, and in the Maple Tree housing subdivision in Lee’s Summit into the late 1990’s. 

Perhaps his most iconic project, however, was the Family Golf Park -- which was just that, a family-run business, through and through. Founded in Lee’s Summit in the early 1990’s, the Family Golf Park may have been small in operational scope, but its impact on both the local community and the lives of many individuals who were involved in a spectrum of ways was deeply felt. It provided a social gathering space for families & communities (miniature golf, game room, bumper boats -- there was something for everyone!), offered opportunities for instruction & advancement with golf pro Bob Coleman, and often served as first-time employment for local teens. Jim was especially proud of the Family Golf Park’s “Birthday Book Club” program, which was developed to provide funding for multiple school libraries in Eastern Jackson County. 

Ever invested in his children, grandchildren, and their futures, Jim also saw the opportunity in golf as a pathway to personal achievement, higher education, and better business relationships. Many in the extended Slaven family benefitted from Jim’s tireless efforts to cultivate appreciation and skill in the thinking man’s (or, in the case of his granddaughters, woman’s) game, and his encouragement and support contributed to not one, but three high school state championship wins. 

Clearly, Jim positioned himself well to mentor his children and grandchildren! But he didn’t stop at his own areas of experience. Jim’s home is full of books on topics specifically related to what the grandkids were into, or what he thought could be a road to success: track & running, art, business, the list goes on. He was always handing out books and advice on how to get better. For Jim, better was the only way forward. 

Some of the last words Jim wrote before he passed were: “I believe in America and I love my wife.” 

The America that Jim believed in is one where opportunity for growth & success exists for those who work hard (and make smart choices), and who then use their success to give a helping hand to those they love best. This belief was also one that was driven by his faith as a lifelong member of the Catholic Church. 

Love for Jim was a verb expressed in his commitment to Donna, through their beautiful marriage, and in every act of generosity and support he provided his family and friends throughout his 85 years with us. 

Jim was proceeded in death by his parents, Joe and Matilda. He is survived by his wife, Donna (Blunk), who he loved for 64 years, and their children: Mike (Denise) Slaven, Jeff (Janet) Slaven, Karen (Rick) Kraus, Joe (Lisa) Slaven, Dan (Linda) Slaven, and Kim (Lee) Hudson. He is survived by his grandchildren, who will miss his generous mentorship: Grant (Eva Wong) Howard, Chelsea (Sebastian) Slaven-Davis, Kristine (Nick) Dibos, Ryan (Jessica) Kraus, Dylan Slaven, Annemarie (Peter) Yorck, Haley (Tony) Berg, James Slaven, Abby (Josh) Petersen, Koby Slaven, Sarah Jo Slaven, Schyler Slaven, Mary Kate Slaven, Magdalene Slaven, Sam Slaven, Isabella Hudson, Isaac Slaven, Emma Hudson, Will Hudson, Elsie Slaven, and Luke Hudson. Jim is also survived by 9 great-grandchildren: Pan Slaven-Davis, Orion Slaven-Davis, Caleb Dibos, Sadie Dibos, Jonah Dibos, Lily Yorck, Eloise Petersen, Isla Berg, and Ren Howard. And he is survived by his sisters, Marie Clark, Linda (Bob) Holmes, and Lorna (Joe) Nelson, as well as many nieces, nephews, neighbors, Family Golf Park colleagues and friends. 

Funeral services for Jim will be held on Saturday, July 24, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 11300 W. 103rd Street, Overland Park, KS. A rosary will be said at 9:00 am, visitation held from 9:30 - 10:30 am, followed by a funeral mass at 10:30 am. Jim’s ashes will be interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa, KS. A meal will be shared at Holy Spirit after the services. 

The funeral service at Holy Spirit Catholic Church will be livestreamed on Youtube here and on Facebook here starting at 10:20 am on July 24. 

In lieu of flowers, Jim’s family asks that you please consider making a donation to Holy Spirit Catholic School.