William Douglas Grotts' Obituary
William "Bill" Douglas Grotts, 62, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away December 28, 2023, with his children by his side. Bill was born October 3, 1961, in Lake Forest, Illinois, to Dr. John Howard and Geraldine (Keenan) Grotts, joining three older siblings. After graduating from high school, Bill received his Bachelor of Arts in Radio, TV, and Film from the University of Missouri. He also earned his Master of Public Administration and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri - Kansas City.
Bill's favorite job was being a stay-at-home dad, but his career also included working in public radio, for the city government, as an attorney, as a bank compliance officer, and for several environmentally focused nonprofit organizations before retiring to focus on his writing. Bill was an insightful thinker, and his intellect, creativity, and musicality allowed him to write both witty and poignant poetry, short stories, songs, and even a children's book or two. At the time of his passing, he was close to finishing the novel he had been working on for close to 20 years.
The most important things in Bill's life were his children and grandchildren, whom he lovingly referred to as his "bunnies." Music was a huge part of Bill's life, and he was incredibly talented at playing the guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He also loved reading, bird watching, tree planting, researching family history, taking road trips, and making everyone around him laugh and feel loved.
Bill is survived by his son, John Grotts, daughter and son-in-law, Amy & Otto Steffen, grandchildren Ava & Henry Steffen, siblings Patty (Dan) Kelly, Jim Grotts, and Bob Grotts, and nieces Laura (Matt) Johnston and Rose Kelly. Bill also leaves behind an extensive network of dear friends and admirers, whom his children would like to thank for their love and support in the last few weeks.
When describing the end of life, Bill would say that a person's life hadn't "been lost," but that their story had been completed. While we wish that his story could have had more chapters, we try to find peace in his philosophy and in our memories that will live on forever.
Please join us for a Memorial Open House in honor of Bill Grotts. We're gathering at one of Bill's favorite lunch spots, where he'd often sit in the window, writing a poem or a chapter of his novel. We hope to share favorite stories amongst friends and family.
The Memorial Open House will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm at Huey's on the Square, 18 North Main Street, Liberty, Missouri 64068.
Aquamation Services provided by Hughes Funeral Alternatives, LLC in St. Louis, Missouri.
Family and friends can sign a online guestbook at www.HughesFuneralAlternatives.com.
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