Denny W. Barnhart

Denny Wayne Barnhart, 75, passed away March 31, 2022.  Denny is survived by brother Tim Barnhart (Leigh Barnhart), sister Kayla Michael (David Michael), brother Jim Barnhart (Carol Kopp), son Scott Barnhart (Nicole Thomas), daughter Susan Schick (Todd Schick), granddaughter Marissa Barnhart (Andrew Robertson), grandson Brennon Barnhart and Maverick Schick, and great grandchildren Kade Robertson and Amara Robertson, plus many other family members and friends. He was preceded by parents Wayne "Barney" Barnhart and Elizabeth "Libby" Barnhart.

Denny was born in Buffalo, MO on February 15th, 1947. He grew up in Raytown, MO and graduated from the 'original' Raytown HS. Denny attended college in Warrensburg MO for a short time, was in a fraternity, rode a motorcycle and even went to Mexico one year on Spring Break. He went to work at Armco Steel before joining the military. Denny joined the US Army on January 4th, 1968 and went in as an infantry soldier, and worked his way up through the ranks to E-7. He was a Drill Sergeant stationed at the armpit of the United States, "Tigerland" in Ft. Polk, LA where he trained many youngmen going to Vietnam. He then went onto OCS (Officer Candidate School), and became an officer in 1979. He was able to take his family to Germany twice (Berlin, Dexheim), and many different states throughout the lower 48 through his military stations. The family took advantage of the opportunity to be in Europe, and traveled to almost each of the countries at least once.

One of his biggest accomplishments was climbing Mt. Rainer, in Washington state, with some of his fellow comrades who served with him. He graduated with a BSBA (Human Resources) at Park College, in TX while continuing to work active duty.

He was a combat veteran and was deployed during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. After returning home from that he retired about a year later, 1992 as a Major in the Army.

He then went into something that was near and dear to his heart, and really a calling-he became a District Executive for the Boy Scouts of America in VA, Peninsula District. He then moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains, to a place called Wytheville where he continued to work for the BSA as a D.E.. Then onto the great state of Texas, where he was a D. E. in a few different areas of Ft. Worth. Eventually he moved back up to what was considered 'home base', Kansas City area after retiring from the Scouts. Denny went to work at a place where he knew more than most in so many departments of the store, Dicks Sporting Goods, he was known to many as 'the man to see'. When a position at the HOAC (Heart of America Council) 'scout shop' opened up, he got right back into scouting professionally again and continued to be the 'man to see' when guests needed assistance.

Denny had a passion to help those with what he loved and knew through scouting, and although he made a living with BSA, he also spent the majority of his free time volunteering in many capacities. Here are just a few volunteer positions Denny held: Scott's first troop at Ft. Bliss texas as a committee member, Scoutmaster in the second troop in Germany, and then as Assistant Scoutmaster in Newport News, VA. In Kansas City he was a Commissioner for many troops and packs, and influenced countless lives through his work.

Throughout his life the schedule that Denny had did not keep him from being a loving father, friend, educator mentor and leader. He would not ask anyone to do something, he does, or has already done, and will continue to do. He had a greeting that would put people in a pause with a 'hook, line, sinker', by saying "Good Scouting Day!", and the reply, "hello, how are you?", in which is response was legendary: "Fine as a frog hair split six ways polished fine, but yet still only slightly dusty, you doing ok?"...and if the person said "good, and you?", well then it may start it all over again. To strangers it was odd and amusing, but also memorable, to his family expected, and to his kids oftentimes tiresome. Denny's sense of humor or really dry-wit, was always right under the surface, and those that knew him well knew he enjoyed his clever humor.

So many have been called "one of a kind" but Denny was in a class by himself, and had a distinctive personality that will not soon be forgotten. Thank you for your class, integrity, heart and selfless acts.

Visitation will be 6-8PM, Thursday, April 7 at Park Lawn Funeral Home, 8251 Hillcrest Rd., Kansas City, Missouri.  Funeral Services will be 10AM, Friday, April 8 at Park Lawn Funeral Home; burial in Memorial Park Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to https://everloved.com/life-of/denny-barnhart/.

Visitation will be 6-8PM, Thursday, April 7 at Park Lawn Funeral Home, 8251 Hillcrest Rd., Kansas City, Missouri.  Funeral Services will be 10AM, Friday, April 8 at Park Lawn Funeral Home; burial in Memorial Park Cemetery.