Onyinye Keke

Frederick K. Cross 

Cremation Center of Kansas City

Frederick K. Cross of Overland Park, KS passed away peacefully October 26, 2020. He was born September 11, 1929, in Kansas City, to Fred Kelley Cross and Zelma (Brown) Cross, the first of 6 children. Fred grew up in Kansas City, KS.  He had a magnificent life and was a role model and father figure to many people during his 91 years.  A long-time Kansas attorney, Fred had broad interests, including literature, foreign travel, humanities, music, printing and art. Fred was educated in the Kansas City Kansas Public School system, graduating Wyandotte High School in 1947.   He was a member of the Kansas State Championship Varsity Debate Team for 2 years and was top-speaker in the Kansas State Debate Finals.  He was editor of its yearbook, The Quivirian, and received two national awards for that publication; the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Top Honors Award for Excellence in Journalism, and the National Quill and Scroll Top Award. Other high school honors included National Honor Society, National Forensics, National Thespian, and achieved top scores in the Senior Scholarship Studies, the forerunners of SAT and ACT.  Fred was the Class Valedictorian.  At the time of graduation, he was informed by several national academia societies that no other high school graduate had ever won the cumulative collection of these national awards. Fred studied at University of Kansas on scholarship as a Battenfeld Scholar and was on the KU Varsity Debate Team for both his freshman and sophomore years.  In 1949 he won the National Holloway Scholarship and was accepted at Columbia University (New York), Harvard and Yale.  Fred selected Columbia where he studied while Gen. Dwight Eisenhower was the University’s President.  He arrived in New York City with only ten dollars in his pocket. The subways were closed for the night and he had to take a cab, using two of those dollars. He sheltered that first night with homeless and ate free popcorn from the YMCA. He rose from that rough start to win a National Championship as a member of Columbia’s Varsity Debate Team, debate at all the Ivy League tournaments and was selected to debate visiting teams from England and Scotland. While at Columbia, Fred was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.  He attended Church at Columbia’s Chapel where he was baptized as Episcopalian.  He continued in that faith the rest of his life and was a member of St. Michael’s and All Angels in Mission, KS for decades before finishing his years of worship at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Overland Park. Upon graduation at Columbia, Fred continued his post-graduate studies in the Columbia Law School for 3 semesters before being called into Naval Service as a Commissioned U. S. Naval Officer.  He served as a Lieutenant in Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet for 3 years of active sea duty in the Caribbean, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Panama, Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico.  Fred was an Officer aboard the USS Missouri when the Korean War began. He was a qualified Officer of the Deck, and was the Ship’s Communication and Cryptographic Officer, holding Top-Secret Cryptographic and Atomic Clearances. In his last Active Duty station, Fred was assigned to the US Navy Base in Philadelphia.  It was there he met his bride-to-be, Marguerite Haley, a 4th-generation Philadelphian, at the Philadelphia USO where she was a Senior USO Hostess. They were married in 1955 at the U. S. Navy Base Chapel, Philadelphia. Upon detachment from active duty, Fred brought his new bride to Lawrence, KS where he resumed his law studies at the KU Law School. He graduated in 1957 with a J. D. Degree. Fred began his law career in Kansas City, KS.  He was admitted to practice before the Kansas Supreme Ct. in 1957 and other Courts, including the U. S. Supreme Court and the U. S. Court of Appeals in Colorado, Missouri and Texas. As an active trial lawyer for more than 50 years, he tried jury cases in the Kansas City Area, the Circuit Courts in Kansas and Missouri, and U. S. District Courts in Wyandotte and Johnson County, among numerous other Counties in Kansas. He also tried cases in Texas, in its State Courts and the U. S. District Court, Houston. He was an expert in Trusts and Estates and proficient in drafting trusts for lawful tax avoidance and minimization. While in the practice of law in 1960, Fred’s passion for education found its way onto the faculty at Rockhurst University where he taught Business Law for 18 years. While Fred practiced in Kansas City, he, on behalf of the Kansas Bar Association and lawyers all over the nation, wrote the amicus curiae brief in the landmark case of U. S. A. v. EMPEY which permitted lawyers, physicians and other professionals to be allowed to utilize tax-deferred pension plans for their families, just as corporations had done since the 1940s. He was publicly commended by the American Bar Association for this work and the thanks of other professional associations of doctors, engineers, accountants and other professionals all over the nation whose families would benefit of tax-deferred pensions when they reached retirement age. Throughout his legal career, Fred maintained some of his professional continuing education studying at Harvard and Oxford University, England.  To accompany his passion for literature, Fred learned hand-bookbinding, which preoccupied his leisure hours for years.  He studied first-hand directly from the master bookbinders of some of the world’s most foremost entities that are the guardians of many of the most important printed and hand-written works in history including the master curators of archival preservation at the United States Library of Congress, the Church of England and the Catholic Church, Vatican City. He collected rare books, Bibles and serigraph prints in his personal library, which was often his refuge from the day’s demands in the practice of trial law. Fred was a member in MENSA. Throughout their lives together, Fred and Meg enjoyed numerous Trans-Atlantic cruises to Europe visiting Great Britain, England, Wales, Ireland, France, and Italy, often with side-trips to North Africa, Yugoslavia and Turkey. While Fred’s professional initiatives and accomplishments were many and varied, it was his casual outlook, focused intellect, good heart and desire to help others that will be missed and remembered.  He had a strong commitment to help others, many of whom were persons and families of little material wealth that were legally done wrong by others, He was much loved and hoped to be reflected upon as a kind man, warm friend, mentor and a loving, caring Husband, Brother, Father and Grandfather. He was proceeded in death by his beloved soul-mate, Meg, his wife of 58 years, a sister, Charlotte, and a brother, Frank.  He is survived by his children, daughter Dr. Gwendolyn (Rev. Robert) Lehleitner, Overland Park, and sons David “Red” Cross, Overland Park, Brian (Staci) Cross, Lake Quivira; his grandchildren Marguerite Lehleitner, Robert “Trey” Lehleitner III, Keaton Cross and Kellen Cross; He is also survived by three sisters, Bette Cline, Dallas, Naomi Dempsey, Houston and Zelma (Louis) Greenstein, Boston. No in-person visitation or services are planned.  A private grave side service and burial next to Meg will be held at Johnson County Memorial Gardens. That service will be recorded and virtual service will be posted following the event. Fred’s family expresses our deepest heartfelt thank you to Margaret “Mitsy” Donnelly; to Dr. Sergey Loboda, his highly skilled home health professional; to Britney Coody, Sheril Herman, and Always There Health Care team, whose care and oversight of Fred allowed him to live his final years in his home. We also extend special thanks to Dr. Kevin Fitzmaurice and staff of Encompass Medical Group, Lenexa; and to the staff of Colonial Village Assisted Living, Overland Park and KC Hospice for their professional and compassionate care. Memorial Contributions In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the following non-profit organizations: SM Meals on Wheels, 7810 W. 79th Street, Overland Park, KS 66204, who faithfully delivered meals for 6 years; The Patrons’Gallery, a privately supported gallery featuring student works at SM North High School, c/o 7401 Johnson Drive, OP KS 66202 or St. Thomas the Apostle, 12251 Antioch, OP KS 66213, his faith community or other charity of choice. Friends and family may offer condolences to the family or write in Fred’s Memorial page on the Cremation Center of Kansas City website, cremationcenterkc. com.  Wishing Lt. Fred Cross “fair winds and following seas. ”

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Frederick K. Cross Obituary | Cremation Center of Kansas City