John Elmore

 

(From Floral Hills Funeral Home)

John Price Elmore, age 84, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away on May 25, 2024.

John was born December 2, 1939 in Webb City, Missouri to Vern and Virginia Elmore (nee Woolsey). Upon the return of his father from WWII the family moved to El Dorado, Kansas and John completed grade school and High School in El Dorado. John graduated from High School with the class of 1957. John attended Butler County Junior College and received a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Kansas in 1962.

Upon graduation John accepted an engineering position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Pomona Dam in Kansas. In 1963 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and left the service in 1965 at the rank of sergeant. John returned to his engineering position with the Corps and over the next several years he was assigned to increasingly more important positions in the Kansas City District of the Corps. During those mid-career years he was assigned to McConnell Air force Base, Milford Dam, Fort Riley, Rathbun Dam, Smithville Dam, and finally as the Resident Engineer at Long Branch Dam. In 1980 he was assigned as the Chief of Operations in the Kansas City District.

In 1987 John was appointed to the Federal Governments' Senior Executive Service and assigned as the Chief of Operations, Construction, and Readiness Division at the Corps' Headquarters in Washington D.C. In this position John was responsible for planning, policy guidance, staffing, organizational structure, performance measurement and overall effectiveness of 20,000 person organization throughout the United States and its territories. The position also involved the interaction with the Public, Congress and the Executive Branch on a regular basis. The readiness portion of this assignment involved the Corps' response and recovery efforts to Domestic and National Emergencies. John spent considerable time directing and evaluating the Corps' response and recovery efforts to events such as the drought of 1988, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Hurricane Hugo, Hurricane Andrew, the 1993 Flood and other events. As to National Emergencies he played a major role in first negotiation with the Kuwati Government as to the Corps role in the rebuilding of Kuwait infrastructure subsequent to the then ongoing Desert Storm War.

He also served as member of the of the Board of the Missouri-Arkansas River Basin Organization, Building Futures Council, The Western Dredging Association. The River Industry Executive Task Force, and The National Catastrophic Disaster Response Group. John served as Chairman of the U.S. Section of Columbia River Treaty Permanent Engineering Board and The National Port Readiness Steering Committee.

John was a registered Professional Engineer and his engineering career has been memorialized by numerous honors and awards including his Presidential Rank Awards of Meritorious Executive by President Bush in 1962 and Distinguished Executive by President Clinton in 1995. He also received an honorary Key to the City of Kansas City for his contributions while in the Kansas City District. In 1995 with 33 years of service

John retired from the Corps of Engineers. He was active as an engineering and management consultant for several years following his retirement from the Corps.

John was an amicable person who endeavored always to see the best in people and seldom if ever lost his temper or raised his voice no matter the difficulty of the situation. He lived his live in accord with the golden rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". His family and work were the preeminent drivers in his life but if time permitted, he enjoyed fishing and hunting and spectator sports particularly the Kansas University basketball team and the Kansas City Royals.

John was a member of the Christian Church and a 32nd degree Mason.

Many people have asked of John what the most important decision he ever made was. His response was always the same "that's an easy question and I'll even tell you the day I made it. On November 11, 1969 I said "I do" in a church in Denver Colorado and was married to the former Bobbie Briskey of Rathbun, Iowa. While I've had an eventful and fulfilling life and career, absent that event, my life and career would certainly have been less robust. Since that date she has been my constant loving companion, outstanding hostess, advisor, and always my inspiration."

John was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Stephen Elmore; and his wife, Barbara “Bobbie” Elmore.

John is survived by nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 9:30-10 AM, with service at 10 AM, on Wednesday, June 5, at Floral Hills Funeral Home, 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City, MO. Burial will occur at 2 PM at Oakland Cemetery in Centerville, IA.

The family suggests donations to the Salvation Army.