Raymond Charles Kirtland, age 79, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on May 8, 2024.  A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday May 18, 2024 at 6 pm at The 180 Room. 11944 S Strang Line Rd. Olathe KS 66062.  The family requests no flowers and suggests memorial contributions to the Blessings Abound Fund.  

Raymond is survived by his sisters Patricia Crowle, and Marilyn Zweig; his brother Jack Kirtland; his son Mark Kirtland and his wife Autumn, and daughters Megan Kirtland and Melissa Hershey and her husband Brandon; and 5 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Jim Kirtland.  

He was born on July 3, 1944, in Gary Indiana. He grew up in a neighborhood with his cousins. As a young man he was interested in boating on Lake Michigan, scuba diving, and was on the swim team. He attended Indiana University and received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. During his time at Indiana University, he was elected Student President of the Teter Quadrangle Association Residence Halls, Co-founder of a campus student political party, and Co-founder of a campus wide radio station.  He volunteered for the draft and was selected to serve in the Army intelligence in Vietnam. He lived and raised his 3 children in Overland Park, KS surrounded by lifelong friends and neighbors. His career involved technology, computer networking, and commercial asset management of real estate properties. 

In his retirement years, he enjoyed learning to speak and write Chinese, collecting watercolor paintings, discussing politics, discovering new vocal talents, and sharing his love of movies with friends.  

Raymond Kirtland was a dynamic man who lived life his way. Guided by a strong moral compass he made an impact on so many people throughout his life. His proudest achievements were his 3 children. There was not a person he met that he did not share about Mark, Melissa, and Megan and their personal and professional successes.  

He had been recently diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome. This severe, fast acting blood cancer caused him to pass just 2 months after he received his official diagnosis. His family is very grateful for the care he received from everyone at the KU Cancer Center and KU hospital. He also received excellent loving care from Premier private duty care givers and Brighton Hospice.