Obituary for Dwain Dewey
It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dwain Dewey, a loving husband of 33 years, to Mary Redmond. Dwain peacefully departed from this world in the early morning hours of May 20th at KC Hospice House.
We invite you to remember, honor, and celebrate Dwain at First Christian Church, 148 N Nettleton, Bonner Springs, KS. The visitation will be Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The funeral service will take place Friday, June 2, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the church, and in keeping with the spirit of honoring Dwain’s life and the joy he brought to all who knew him, we cordially invite you to join us in a heartfelt celebration and BBQ luncheon immediately following the service in the church’s fellowship hall. This will serve as a special occasion for us to commemorate Dwain’s memory and cherish the precious moments we shared with him.
Robert Dwain “Dwain” Dewey
March 9, 1939 – May 20, 2023
Dwain Dewey was born on March 9th, 1939 in Mansfield, MO to Robert and Geneva Dewey.
He graduated from Shawnee Mission High School in 1957 and was the first member of
his family to graduate from college, earning his Bachelor of Business from Kansas
University in the Fall of 1961.
Dwain went into his family-owned business as an executive of Dewey Leasing and
Freight Systems, a regional trucking company for 32 years.
His leadership skills were evident in every aspect of his life. In college, Dwain was
initiated into Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity in November of 1957. His brothers in the Beta
Beta Chapter quickly recognized his leadership acuity and elected him Chapter
President. After graduation, Dwain took on numerous national leadership roles as a Phi
Kappa Sigma alumnus, eventually holding the Grand Alpha, or top executive board
position, from 1980 – 1983. He was crucial in establishing a chapter at Drury University,
as well as being a member of the Chartering Committee for the Beta Omega Chapter at
Radford University. Dwain believed strongly in the value of Chapters recognizing the
successes of the undergraduates throughout the year, and was instrumental in founding
the Chapter Achievement Program, which the fraternity still utilizes today. At the time of
his passing, Dwain was the oldest living past Grand Alpha.
Dwain was an active member of Toastmasters International for 42-years and was a cofounder of the Bonner Springs Toastmasters Club. During those years, he mentored
hundreds of new members. He coached them how to prepare and deliver speeches,
how to run a meeting, give entertaining presentations and deliver a keynote speech.
With Dwain’s help, members gained self-confidence and learned ways to polish their
communication skills. In 2019, he earned The Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest
award Toastmasters International bestows. The DTM recognizes superior achievement
in both communication and leadership.
Dwain joined Bonner Springs Rotary in 1998, drawn to the worldwide organization of
business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service and encourages
high ethical standards in all vocations. He served as President of the Bonner Springs
club and in 2010 he became a Paul Harris Fellow.
Faith was essential to Dwain. He was a member of First Christian Church for 34-years
where he served as a Deacon, Elder and Chairman of the Board from 1994 - 1995.
Dwain is preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Geneva, and his sister Charlotte
(Dewey) Holloway, and his brother-in-law, Billy H. McCall. He is survived by his loving
wife of 33 years, Mary Redmond; his son, Robert Dwain Dewey II (daughter-in-law,
Cindere); his daughter, Debbie (Dewey) Summers (son-in-law, Mike Summers); his
brother, Bill Dewey (sister-in-law, Carolyn); his sister, Carol E. McCall (brother-in-law,
Billy H. McCall, deceased), three grandsons, four great-grandchildren and numerous
nieces and nephews.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to The Deeper Window
Association (https://thedeeperwindowassociation.org), which helps families navigate
dementia with proactive courage and authentic hope.
Dwain was an enthusiastic participant in the Deeper Window program for the final 18-
months of his life. There he made new friends, laughed, helped others when they were
sad, toured museums, historic monuments, orchards and sunflower fields. He couldn’t
wait to get up and going in the morning if he was heading to Deeper Windows.
We invite you to remember, honor, and celebrate Dwain at First Christian Church, 148 N Nettleton, Bonner Springs, KS. The visitation will be Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The funeral service will take place Friday, June 2, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the church, and in keeping with the spirit of honoring Dwain’s life and the joy he brought to all who knew him, we cordially invite you to join us in a heartfelt celebration and BBQ luncheon immediately following the service in the church’s fellowship hall. This will serve as a special occasion for us to commemorate Dwain’s memory and cherish the precious moments we shared with him.
Robert Dwain “Dwain” Dewey
March 9, 1939 – May 20, 2023
Dwain Dewey was born on March 9th, 1939 in Mansfield, MO to Robert and Geneva Dewey.
He graduated from Shawnee Mission High School in 1957 and was the first member of
his family to graduate from college, earning his Bachelor of Business from Kansas
University in the Fall of 1961.
Dwain went into his family-owned business as an executive of Dewey Leasing and
Freight Systems, a regional trucking company for 32 years.
His leadership skills were evident in every aspect of his life. In college, Dwain was
initiated into Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity in November of 1957. His brothers in the Beta
Beta Chapter quickly recognized his leadership acuity and elected him Chapter
President. After graduation, Dwain took on numerous national leadership roles as a Phi
Kappa Sigma alumnus, eventually holding the Grand Alpha, or top executive board
position, from 1980 – 1983. He was crucial in establishing a chapter at Drury University,
as well as being a member of the Chartering Committee for the Beta Omega Chapter at
Radford University. Dwain believed strongly in the value of Chapters recognizing the
successes of the undergraduates throughout the year, and was instrumental in founding
the Chapter Achievement Program, which the fraternity still utilizes today. At the time of
his passing, Dwain was the oldest living past Grand Alpha.
Dwain was an active member of Toastmasters International for 42-years and was a cofounder of the Bonner Springs Toastmasters Club. During those years, he mentored
hundreds of new members. He coached them how to prepare and deliver speeches,
how to run a meeting, give entertaining presentations and deliver a keynote speech.
With Dwain’s help, members gained self-confidence and learned ways to polish their
communication skills. In 2019, he earned The Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest
award Toastmasters International bestows. The DTM recognizes superior achievement
in both communication and leadership.
Dwain joined Bonner Springs Rotary in 1998, drawn to the worldwide organization of
business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service and encourages
high ethical standards in all vocations. He served as President of the Bonner Springs
club and in 2010 he became a Paul Harris Fellow.
Faith was essential to Dwain. He was a member of First Christian Church for 34-years
where he served as a Deacon, Elder and Chairman of the Board from 1994 - 1995.
Dwain is preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Geneva, and his sister Charlotte
(Dewey) Holloway, and his brother-in-law, Billy H. McCall. He is survived by his loving
wife of 33 years, Mary Redmond; his son, Robert Dwain Dewey II (daughter-in-law,
Cindere); his daughter, Debbie (Dewey) Summers (son-in-law, Mike Summers); his
brother, Bill Dewey (sister-in-law, Carolyn); his sister, Carol E. McCall (brother-in-law,
Billy H. McCall, deceased), three grandsons, four great-grandchildren and numerous
nieces and nephews.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to The Deeper Window
Association (https://thedeeperwindowassociation.org), which helps families navigate
dementia with proactive courage and authentic hope.
Dwain was an enthusiastic participant in the Deeper Window program for the final 18-
months of his life. There he made new friends, laughed, helped others when they were
sad, toured museums, historic monuments, orchards and sunflower fields. He couldn’t
wait to get up and going in the morning if he was heading to Deeper Windows.