Dr. Frank Colton Iii

Dr. Frank V. Colton, III, 84, of Leawood, Kansas, formerly of Kirksville, passed away on Monday, December 23, 2019. The son of Frank and Lorraine (Lacy) Colton, he was born on November 15, 1935 in St. Louis, Missouri. On August 13, 1960, he was united in marriage to Linda Kay (Elam) Colton.

Frank is survived by wife Linda of the home, two daughters, Cathy Allie and husband David of Grain Valley, MO, and Caryn Brewer and husband Harry of Prairie Village, KS; one son, Matthew Van Colton of Chicago, IL; four grandchildren, Colton Brewer, Ellie Brewer, and Barrett Brewer of Prairie Village, KS, and Harper Allie of Grain Valley, MO; one sister, Virginia (Ginny) Schneider and husband Gene of Kirksville, MO; one sister-in law Barbara Rauer and husband Dean of Aldie, VA; three nieces, Paula Melander and husband Ev of Aldie, VA, Julie Henderson and husband John of Kirksville, MO, and Tracy Ockenfels and husband Mike of Kirksville, MO; two nephews, Greg Rauer and wife Marie of Floyd, VA, and Rob Schneider and wife Jen of Frisco, TX; 9 great nieces and nephews, 3 great, great nieces and nephews, and multiple fraternal and maternal cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Barrett and Frances Elam.

Frank attended Kirksville schools and graduated in 1953. He served in the Army Reserves beginning in 1955, and served as a clerk in the United States Army at Fort Leonard Wood, being honorably discharged August 13, 1957. He received his Bachelors and Master’s degrees from Kirksville State Teachers College in 1957 and 1959 respectively, and while there he was a member of Sigma Tau Gamma. He received his Doctorate from Wayne State University in 1969.

He began his teaching career in Centerville, Iowa, worked in the Alumni and Business Offices at Kirksville State Teacher’s College for 6 years, as a professor at the University of Kentucky for 10 years, and in varying capacities at A.T. Still University for 21 years before his retirement in 1998. ATSU awarded Frank an honorary Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in June of 2008.

Frank was active in civic and professional organizations, which included: the Kirksville and South Kansas City Rotary Clubs, serving as President and in various officer capacities; Kirksville United Way Board for multiple years; Kirksville Country Club board, serving as President; Phi Delta Kappa; member of Trinity Episcopal church where he served as an altar boy and later an usher; a member of First United Methodist Church in Kirksville, and after moving to Kansas, a member of Christ Church Anglican; member of Masonic Lodge #366 and the El Kadir Shrine Club.

Frank was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, who particularly enjoyed his grandchildren’s successes in school and activities. He loved sports, and rarely missed a Truman Bulldogs basketball game while living in Kirksville. He religiously watched any Missouri Tigers contest, heading to Columbia in the wee hours of the morning to tailgate before the football games. He attended baseball games at the old Sportsman Park as a child, and spent decades watching his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. He and his wife saw games at over 30 Major League ball parks across the United States and even Montreal, Canada.

He was also an avid, life-long golfer, and visited some of the world’s most beautiful golf courses, including St. Andrews in Scotland, and attended the Masters and the British Open. He authored a book about his favorite club of all time, the Kirksville Country Club. In his earlier days, he enjoyed hunting quail and ducks, and spent countless hours traipsing around farmland in Ethel, Missouri, and shoring up his duck blind in Elmer.

Visitation with the family will be from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 28, 2019 with funeral service at 2:00 p.m. at Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home. Burial will be in Maple Hills Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to: The Frank and Linda Colton scholarship fund at Truman State University at truman.edu, the Parkinson Foundation of the Heartland @ parkinson.org, or the ASPCA at aspca.org.