Richard Lee Steiner

Richard Lee Steiner, 75, died on April 19, surrounded by loved ones at his home in Fairway, Kansas, following a lengthy illness. He was born on Feb. 14, 1950, to Lisette Braun Steiner (Fisher) and Jerrold Steiner in St. Louis, Mo., becoming the adored little brother of his then 12-year-old sister Susie. His father, who had been a minor league catcher and furniture distributor, died when Richard was 12 years old. Richard remained close to his travel-loving mother, a teacher and advocate, who later married Myron Fisher and brought a fun-loving stepbrother, Charles (Chuck) Fisher, into Richard’s life. Richard was zealous about his railway career; dedicated to his wife of 34 years, Joyce Meyer, and supportive of his only son, Jeremy, who brought much joy into Richard’s life. He delighted in teaching his succession of dogs to sing, turned grocery shopping into a hobby, was immersed in following the news and liberal causes and was fascinated by history, especially railway history and music history. He was a whiz at “Jeopardy” and family and co-workers knew that only an emergency warranted interrupting his favorite TV show. After graduating from Horton Watkins High School in Ladue in 1968, Richard headed to the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he graduated. He majored in social work, minored in Spanish, and discovered a new passion, playing the guitar with his dorm-mate and soon-to-be lifelong friend and fellow railroader Bob Suckiel. The early 1970s music scene and a job search lured Richard to Kansas City. He explored social work first but ended up hiring out on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad as a clerk and later moved into the engine service. He became a locomotive engineer and later, as a sign of respect by his fellow engineers, he was elected president of the C&NW RR local Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. When not riding the rails, Richard kept busy during his young adult years as one of the early members of The Foolkiller Etc, a Kansas City gathering of political action, music and theater that eventually transformed into what is now Crosscurrents. He played guitar, banjo and sometimes dobro with the folk-Americana band Vegomatic. He, Greg Allen and Sam Lograsso formed Bert and the Brechts, whose claim to fame was once opening for the famed Doc Watson. In 1990 he met a fellow dog-loving neighbor who shared his interest in music and supporting worthwhile causes. He and Joyce married in 1991. Together they enjoyed travel, music, time with friends and family and always being the oldest parents in the crowd while raising their son, Jeremy. He coached Jeremy’s baseball team, supported his swimming, rugby and choral activities, turned the basement into a haven for teens, and later took pride in Jeremy's career move to New York City. Career wise, Richard was advancing rapidly. In the early 1990s he took a position as Manager of Operations with the recently merged Southern Pacific Chicago St. Louis (SPCSL) railway. The job gave him the opportunity to hone his teaching skills while running Southern Pacific’s training center. His career responsibilities grew during a series of railroad mergers in the mid- and late-1990s that turned Kansas City’s rail yards into an immense hub under the moniker of Union Pacific. By 1996, Richard’s title was Manager of Operations for Union Pacific. He later became Director of Road Operations. Due to health issues his railroad career took a turn and he took over Union Pacific’s training center, became the KC Hub's "rules guru" and one of the top regional investigation managers for accidents and derailments. Both other managers and rank and file employees came to him for the definitive meaning and implementation of the rules and practices of the RR. Everyone knew that what Richard said on these subjects was gold and by chance if not, he always stood by what he said never throwing anyone else under the bus. When it came to the rules all someone had to say was "Steiner said"-------" and all gathered around would hush and listen and he always had time to patiently and calmly discuss the finer points with anyone, treating all as equals. Witty, funny, insightful and a memory for names, dates and trivia were are only some of his attributes that endeared him to his fellow workers. In 2011, he retired from Union Pacific, formed his own railway consulting business and started a part-time career working for Transportation Certification Services (TCS) of Overland Park, Kansas. He traveled around the country and abroad, instructing railway safety, investigation procedures, training in operations, logistics and other areas. In addition to his wife Joyce and son Jeremy, Richard is survived by his daughter-in-law Annmarie Wrightsman; his stepbrother Chuck Fisher (Jean); two nieces, Betsy (Joel) Dennis and Emily (Matt) Coen; two nephews, Tom (Tara) Gallop and John (Caryn) Gallop; a step-niece and step-nephew, Nancy (Scott) Trail and Mike (Elaine) Fisher; numerous great-nieces and great-nephews; a huge assortment of in-laws and family dog Lincoln. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Sue Gallop, brother-in-law Donald Gallop, a step-niece Ellen Fisher and father-in-law Vincent G. Meyer. A Celebration of Life will be on Sunday, July 20, at 2 pm at The Simpson House, 4509 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo. Memorials in Richard Steiner’s name may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), your favorite animal rescue or to the charity of your choice.

Richard Lee Steiner

February 14, 1950 - April 19, 2025