William George McLaughlin, 81, passed away October 14 surrounded by family. Services will be at Mt. Moriah and Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Rd., Tuesday October 18th, at 1pm followed by a Royal Order of Jesters Rose Ceremony. Family will receive friends from 12 to 1pm at the funeral home. Entombment with military honors will follow at the Faith Mausoleum in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.
Bill had a passion for learning which he pursued his entire life. After receiving his Chemical Engineering degree at Purdue University he was interrupted by the Korean War and served honorably for the U.S. Army for three years. Later he received a master's degree in Foreign Trade and spent three years abroad in chemical sales for the Rohm and Haas Company. After returning to the Kansas City area he formed his own company of 20 years, XENTEX Industrial Water Treatment.
Bill was a member of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS. Masonic and Shrine associations were an important part of his life starting in the early 1950's. Bill was a 57 year member of the Auburn Park Masonic Lodge #789 in Chicago, IL. Bill joined the Medina Shrine Temple in Chicago, IL in 1954. He became a member of the Ararat Shrine Temple in 1969 and was a member of its Million Dollar Patrol Unit. In 2004 Bill received his 50 year pin recognizing his commitment to the Shrine. Bill was a 27 year member of the Order of Quetzalcoatl. Bill was elected into the Royal Order of Jesters in 1988.
While serving in Korea in 1952, Bill received his 32nd degree at the Scottish Rite Temple in Tokyo, Japan, when it was re-inaugurated by General Douglas MacArthur. The 1952 class was known as the MacArthur class.
Bill is survived by Janet, his wife of 54 years, daughter Debra McLaughlin Mandry and grandson William Connor Mandry, sister Dorothy and brother-in-law Jean Haberichter, niece Dawn Arnold, nephew Paul Arnold of the Chicago area where Bill was born on December 31, 1929. Participating in the service will be his niece, Karen Eck of Boulder, CO.
Contributions may be made to the Ararat Shrine Hospital Transportation Fund, 5100 Ararat Dr., Kansas City, MO 64139.
