Well done, good and faithful servant! (Matt. 25:21)

John Meggs received his heavenly reward on April 21, 2022. He was 87 years old. John was born January 12, 1935 in Kosciusko, Mississippi to Carl and Hazel Meggs. He was the oldest of three brothers which include Gary Meggs and Ron Meggs. His father, mother and brother Gary preceded him in death.

John is survived by his wife Carol Meggs, his children Chris (Julie) Meggs, Scott Meggs and Stacey Meggs along with his brother Ron (Cindy) Meggs, his aunt Margaret Smith and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

John’s family moved to Kansas City, Kansas his senior year in high school and he graduated from Wyandotte High School. On July 5, 1958 John married his sweetheart, Carol Masters, who he loved and spoiled for almost 64 years. He was welcomed with open arms into the Masters family, who loved him as one of their own.

John would want you to know that he loved the Lord. He served as a deacon at churches where he was a member, including Judson Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas and First Baptist Church in Gardner, Kansas. He also took part in several outreach programs to take the gospel into the surrounding neighborhoods.

John enjoyed a variety of sports and was the star halfback of the Kosciusko High School football team and earned a letter. He also enjoyed softball throughout his life as a player and later as a coach of his sons’ softball teams. He was a season ticket holder for the Kansas City Chiefs for years and enjoyed taking his family to Kansas City A’s and Royals baseball games.

John was also a leader in his sons’ Boy Scout troop and enjoyed weekend camping and hiking trips. His love of the outdoors included fishing whenever he had the chance. Annual trips to Beaver Lake Arkansas for fishing and water skiing were among the highlights of the year. Trips to Colorado, especially to see his daughter Stacey, were always treasured too. John enjoyed exploring the state and trips to Estes Park, Poudre Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park never got old.

Growing up in Kosciusko, John threw newspapers and worked at the town’s grocery store. The grocery business would be his calling. After graduating from high school, he landed a job with Safeway and worked his way up through the ranks and eventually managed several stores. He left Safeway to become a store supervisor with Associated Wholesale Grocers. At AWG he later became the marketing coordinator for the Price Chopper group. He wrote the weekly ad for the grocery stores and represented them at several functions until retiring in 1999.

His time as the marketing coordinator for Price Chopper gave him several incredible opportunities. When Price Chopper was a sponsor of the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals, he was part of pregame presentations on the field. He became friends with Chief owner and AFL founder Lamar Hunt. He met many local celebrities and enjoyed playing in charity golf tournaments with people like Joe Montana, Roy Williams, and Willie Lanier. John was also in charge of the Price Chopper suite at Arrowhead Stadium. As part of that, he was able to take his family to every home game until his retirement. John’s position with Price Chopper also gave him access to attend Kansas City Kings games, Kansas City Scouts hockey games, and other local events.  

Representing one of the Chiefs’ biggest sponsors, John and his wife Carol were invited to travel with the Chiefs and Price Chopper owners to the team’s overseas games. They were able to visit Berlin and Tokyo to experience their cultures. They also traveled to several Super Bowls as guests of the Chiefs.

When KMBC’S Larry Moore asked John if Price Chopper would help create the Dream Factory of Kansas City, a partnership was born that impacted thousands of children facing life-threatening illnesses.

John was also on the board of directors for Baptist Medical Center and was honored to have a street at the hospital named after him as part of an annual fundraising event. It’s just one of many instances that prove how people held John in high regard.

If you would like to pay your respects and share stories about John, a visitation will be held at 10:00 am on Wed., April 27, 2022  at Bruce Funeral Home, 106 S. Center Street, Gardner, Kansas. A funeral service follows at 11:00 am. Following the service, burial will be at Chapel Hill Cemetery, 701 N. 94th Street, Kansas City, Kansas. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Gardner or Southwest Multi-Service Center of Johnson County.

Among the Meggs family, he was a force of love, laughter, guidance, and stability. While our hearts are heavy at this time, we are comforted by our faith, and feel blessed.