Jack Jerome Isgur died Friday, April 15, after a brief stay at Kansas City Hospice House. Born in Sedalia, Mo., Jack resided in Kansas City since his graduation from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 1961.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Looie and Ethel Isgur; sisters, Anita and Sheilah; and daughter, Aubra.
He is survived by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Richard and Rae Rubins of Leawood, Kan.; brother-in-law, Sam Kocherov of Cincinnati; two nephews, four nieces, numerous great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins around the world; and a wide range of friends who mourn his passing.
An accomplished lawyer, Jack had diverse interests. He served as the women’s volleyball coach at the University of Kansas and also coached women’s volleyball at the club level for many years. He was an avid collector and was known for his card tricks, riddles, intellectual curiosity and the many one-of-a-kind, thoughtfully selected gifts he bestowed on family and friends.
Despite living in Kansas City for the past 50 years, Jack never forgot his hometown of Sedalia, Mo. He kept in contact with his many Sedalia friends, helped support his Sedalia synagogue and recently commissioned the creation of a 15-foot-tall bronze tiger sculpture that was installed inside Sedalia’s Smith-Cotton High School, his alma mater.
Jack was a tireless advocate for teaching the arts and humanities in the public school system. In 1999, he established the Jack J. Isgur Foundation, which awards college scholarships to students interested in teaching fine arts, performance arts, literature and humanities in rural Missouri school districts. More than 80 scholarships have been awarded to date, and Jack structured the foundation to continue after his passing. Jack’s support and active involvement in this foundation were featured in an article in the Kansas City Star on Jan. 25, 2010.
Jack was an Eagle Scout and a member of DeMolay, Masonic Lodge and Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.
At Jack’s request, no funeral was held, and his body has been donated to the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. A headstone will be placed in the Hebrew Union Cemetery in Sedalia.
Those wishing to commemorate Jack are invited to contribute to the Jack J. Isgur Foundation at Stinson Morrison Hecker Law Firm, 1201 Walnut Street, 28th Floor, Kansas City, MO 64106, attn: Charles Jensen.
A celebration of Jack’s life was held Saturday, May 21, at Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia. Two scholarship recipients of the Jack J. Isgur Foundation attended and spoke of him fondly.
The family wishes to thank Jack’s friends and foundation board members for their caring support. The family is especially grateful to Jack’s longtime administrative assistant, Lisa Dewey, for her compassion and tireless devotion to Jack especially during his final days.