John William Cleary

John William (Bill) Cleary
Born: March 2, 1933

Bill was the 2nd son, 3rd child in a family of 6 children, born to James Andrew Cleary and Katherine Polk Cleary of Wichita, Kansas. He was proceeded in death by his significant other of 25 years, Dot Shadowens, his parents, 2 younger siblings Marge Pittenridge of Moore, OK in 2015 and Jerry Cleary of Wichita, KS in 2021. Bill is survived by Lisa Hutchinson, older siblings Father Richard, OSB, 93 of Conception, MO; Mary (Warren) Oeff, 91, of Indianapolis, IN; as well as younger sister, Katherine (Kack) Nugent, 88, of Gig Harbor, WA. He was a loving and fun uncle to 16 nieces and nephews, 29 greats and even a few great, great nieces.

Bill attended Catholic grade school in Wichita and graduated from St Gregory’s High School in Shawnee, OK in 1951. Upon graduation, he chose Conception Abbey, Conception, MO for his seminary training. Graduating with a Bachelors in Philosophy, he furthered his studies in Theology at Kendrick Seminary in St. Louis. Upon completion, Bill was ordained in 1959 by Bishop Mark K Carroll for the diocese of Wichita. He served in parishes in Coffeeville, KS and at St Francis of Assisi and All Saints in Wichita.

Bill moved into the role of Army Chaplain in 1965. He was on active duty from 1967 to 1972, serving with troops in Thailand and Vietnam. He loved and served his men in battle, receiving heart-felt commendations from those who served under him. He retired from service with the rank of Captain. Bill was especially gifted and effective in his ministry to youth and to the “under-dog”….giving time, talent and treasure.

Due to effects of the war, Bill was granted a dispensation from his priestly duties. He lived near his mother in Southern California for years before moving to Florida. He made many friends here, enjoyed playing softball and loved living near the beach. This is where he met his love, Dot, as well as her family. They shared 25 loving years together before her passing in 2015. Dot’s daughter, Lisa, has been Bill’s friend and caregiver in recent years, for which the family is eternally grateful. When Bill and Dottie, as he called her, met at a pool party on Madeira Beach it became apparent they were inseparable. They spent the hot Florida summers traveling in the motorhome visiting her family in Tennessee first and then exploring the rest of the country. He always said there is never a wrong turn, just a new adventure when traveling. Bill treated her three adult children (Lisa, Karen, Mark) as well as her grandchildren (Amanda, Jessica, Christopher, Adam, & Chelsey) as his own. When the temperature started cooling down up north they made their way back to sunny Florida where he enjoyed a nightly trip to the jacuzzi.

The Cleary nieces & nephews from Wichita have fond memories with Uncle Bill, as he made many extended trips to Wichita over the years….even staying a few months at a time. Family dinners were always lively when Uncle Bill was visiting. Bill loved to travel. We recall trips he made to Moore, OK to visit his sister, Marge, and enjoy food, fun, and lots of pool time. He would occasionally travel to meet up with his brother Jerry & sister in-law Betty and one or more of the Cleary kids. One fond memory is a meeting in Deadwood, SD in the middle of the intersection on Main Street at 12:00 noon.

Bill had a way to bring fun into every encounter. Nephew John remembers flying to Seattle, WA with Bill and spending the month of September 1990 traveling with him around the Pacific Northwest in his motor-home. They drove back to the Midwest on his way home to Florida. Jerry loved to vacation in warm climates in the winter, so there were many trips to Florida to visit Bill. In January of 1991, Jerry and 3 of his kids (Kim, Karen & John) spent a week with Bill in Florida. Highlights of that trip included great seafood meals and a day trip across the state from St Pete to Daytona and back. Many laughs were shared during that trip!

Uncle Bill had nicknames for all of the Cleary kids….Denis (Denny Dimwit), Pat (Pesky Pat), Karen (Funny Honey), John (Johnny Jump-Up), Kim (Kimbo Bimbo), and Mike Mickle Pickle). We laugh every time we think of these as it was his way to make each of us feel extra special.

The following is a poem written by his sister, Kack, for his 68th birthday.

My Fun-Loving Brother
OH, Billy was a playful boy
An ever active child
I remember how he loved to climb
Explore and test and push himself
And sometimes just run wild.

But I recall he’d also take himself
Up in a tree
To sit and watch the world around
While he could simply be.
He loved the cow, the birds, the squirrel
He loved his dog named “Spike”
His curiosity knew no bounds
Though he was just a “tyke”.
He’d take things apart to see
How they worked
And he loved to spin tales
Just one of his quirks.
He loved to play ball
Take hikes, be outside.
He excelled at most sports
With a grin a mile wide
He milked our cow, Bossy
And sold fresh lemonade
To the construction workers nearby.
T’was the sweet drink our Mom made.
I have happy memories
Of my childhood with Bill
We’ve spent years apart
But my hearts with him still.
For the things that we shared
In our formative years
Are the substance of life
That brought laughter and tears

And they formed
The compassion and acceptance
We first knew.
It’s a bonding I cherish
It’s a love that is true
I can count on my brother
And pray for him daily
Just thinking of him
Makes my whole heart sing gaily.