Alan Lee Horner

Alan Lee Horner, 72, of Leawood, Kansas died on November 27, surrounded by his daughters, following an impossible battle against brain cancer. Alan was born on June 3, 1951 in Springfield, Missouri to Leo and Stella Horner (née Jennings). Alan grew up in Ava, Missouri just outside of Brownbranch, and graduated from Ava High School in 1969. He attended the University of Missouri and Southern Missouri State University (now Missouri State), graduating from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Despite graduating from SMS, Alan was an avid Mizzou Tigers fan and never missed a Gamma Phil Beta Dad’s Day in Lawrence during the height of the Mizzou/KU rivalry. Alan married Jean Reicheneder in 1977 in Monette, Missouri and lived in Springfield where they welcomed their daughters, Allyson and Samantha in 1980 and 1982, respectively. In 1985 Alan and Jean moved to Kansas City where they raised their daughters and Alan started his own business. Affectionately known in his later years as “The Captain” despite zero military experience or boat ownership, Alan was truly one of a kind. This rang true even throughout his fight with cancer — one so rare he baffled oncologists and neuroscientists from Sloan Kettering to KU to NYU. Al never met a stranger and was wildly funny. Most are not surprised to learn that he was the middle child; a gifted storyteller who loved to have fun and hold court with his hilarious jokes – often on the 19th hole. But Al did things on his own time and followed his own rules, right until the very end. He used to say it took him two hours to watch 60 minutes and that was certainly true in every aspect of his life. In 2011 Alan retired to Palm Springs with his lady Kate, who later became an adored stepmom. When Katie died of blood cancer in 2017, Alan was surrounded by the most loving and supportive motley crew in Desert Hot Springs, for which his family is forever grateful. After Jean died in 2020 (believe it or not, also of cancer), The Captain sold his beautiful desert home, said goodbye to year-round golf and his Mission Lakes family to move back to Kansas City to be with his kids and grandkids. This came as no surprise as he always came in clutch when he was needed most. A loyal friend, dad and Papa to Addison, Hudson, Teddy and Annie. Before moving back to Kansas City, Al took in a feral cat and named her “Willa Farrell,” and he loved telling you about her, waiting for the inevitable laugh as soon as you realize the pun. Willa will greatly miss him (the only human she likes). He settled less than a mile from Allyson in Leawood and was a constant fixture at every one of her family gatherings and was quickly befriended by a different, yet equally as amazing motley crew in Leawood. Alan loved his family, golf, Jimmy Buffet and The Eagles, and despised DJT until the very end, befuddling the hospice nurses with his “Make America Grateful Again” T-shirt. Alan is preceded in death by his former wife Jean Horner, wife Katherine Reynolds, and his parents Leo and Stella Horner. Alan is survived by daughter Allyson Hild (Ryan) and their children, Addison and Hudson, daughter Samantha Monsees (Matt) and their children Teddy and Jean (Annie), sister Ruth Ann Smith (Duane), brother Steve Horner and favorite nephew Andy Smith. A Celebration of Life will be held in the coming months. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Alan’s honor to the American Brain Tumor Association, www.abta.org or St. Luke’s Hospice House, www.saintlukeskc.org.

Alan Lee Horner

June 3, 1951 - November 27, 2023