Bernard “Barney” Ashner, 81, of Leawood, Kansas passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, March 5, 2017, at Menorah Medical Center. Funeral services were set to take place Wednesday, March 8, 2017, at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah with burial to follow at Rosehill Cemetery. Kindly omit flowers. The family suggests contributions to The MDS Foundation Inc. 4573 South Broad Street, Suite 150, Yardville, NJ 08620, www.mds-foundation.org.
Barney, the son of Charlie and Bessie (Penner) Ashner and the seventh of eight children, was born on March 2, 1936. After graduating Shawnee Mission High School and attending Kansas City Junior College he was encouraged to go into real estate by his brother Leo. In 1961 he met and married the love of his life, Marlene Rinehart. He remained in the real estate industry his entire life and was a broker in both Kansas and Missouri under his company name Barney Ashner Homes. He became involved in home building, developing and investing in commercial real estate and always loved getting up early and starting his work day.
As an athletic teenager he enjoyed playing baseball and basketball and traveling with his AZA group. As a young man he volunteered with the Mission and Overland Park Fire Departments. Having an adventuresome spirit he became passionate about flying and earned his pilot license. He enjoyed taking family members and friends for quick jaunts or day trips in the sky.
Family was always the centerpiece of his life. He purchased a farm where they could ride their horses and create many family memories. One of his loves was listening to music and writing songs with his wife. Together they had a song published and sung by Jeanie C. Riley, which she performed on the Dean Martin television show.
He was an avid sports fan and was well versed on the stats of his favorite sports teams, KU basketball, Royals baseball and the Kansas City Chiefs. He will be remembered for his love of family, selfless generosity, honesty, integrity and clever sense of humor never missing an opportunity to tell a good joke.
Barney was preceded in death by his parents; sisters: Anna Mae Rice, Fern Ruth “Eva” Ashner, and Dorothy Parness; a brother: Louis Ashner; a sister-in-law: Gina Ashner; brothers-in-law: Bob Feldman and Lou Parness; and son-in-law: Daniel Waldberg.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marlene, and their four children: Shari Ashner Boppart, Overland Park, Kansas, Brenda Waldberg, Overland Park, Brett Ashner, Leawood, Kansas, and Melinda Ashner (Bart Cox), Canon City, Colorado; grandchildren: Andrew Boppart, Megan Boppart, Elizabeth Waldberg, and Emily Waldberg; brothers: Leo Ashner (Dottye), Overland Park, and Herb Ashner, Overland Park, a sister: Frances Feldman, North Plainfield, New Jersey, sister-in-law: Sonie Ashner, Mission, Kansas; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
Arrangements by Signature Funerals, www.signaturefunerals.com, 816-214-5174.