John Fetters

John Oliver Fetters or as his grandchildren referred to him, “Papa John”, went to be with Jesus on October 15, 2024, while surrounded by his family. John was born to John “Jack” and Erma Fetters on January 14, 1962, in St. Louis, Missouri. 

He graduated from Ruskin High school in 1980. Shortly after graduation, he began a career with Time Warner, where he remained a loyal employee for over thirty years. John was a family man. He married Kelly Black in 1983, and they raised their four boys in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. Their lives revolved around their church, Lees Summit Community Church, and of course sports, lots of kid's sports! He coached their little league teams for many years. 

Following his retirement came what he considered the most rewarding part of his life - being “Papa” to his twelve grandchildren. Up until the day of his death, his biggest smiles and greatest pleasure came from spending time with them. John and his partner of nearly 20 years, Tracy Orpin, spent a lot of time together and loved to travel. They took numerous trips each year and he was always excited to recount the experiences of the many places they had visited. In addition to his family, John loved his dogs, having a special place in his heart for Boston Terriers, especially his fur buddies, the late Billy, and his most recent companion, Frankie. 

John had many friends, new and old. His closest childhood friends called him “Johnny”. He was especially close to Joe, Tom, and Todd and boy did he have some stories to tell about their adventures, he loved you guys! He also loved Jesus. When asked what he wanted the message to be, at his funeral, his definitive answer was, “Salvation! And that Christ is the only way!” In his final months, living a life honoring Christ was his primary focus and topic of conversation. His family finds so much joy and peace knowing he is without a doubt, dancing in heaven in the presence of Jesus, CANCER FREE! 

John was preceded in death by his father, “Jack” Fetters and his sister Gayle (Fetters) Honeycutt. He leaves behind his mother, Erma Fetters; four sons, Jonathan (Alicia) Fetters, Justin (Alison) Fetters, Joshua (Chelsy) Fetters, and Jacob (Christina) Fetters; Twelve grandchildren, Jaxton, Karsen, Maddex, Ariyah, Uma, Boden, Dawson, Oaklee, Ledger, Arlowe, Ashtyn, and Rowen; his partner, Tracy Orpin; Kelly Black, mother of his children; brother-in-law, Tim Honeycutt; niece, Emily (Shawn) Degler; nephew, Zach Honeycutt; and pup, Frankie.