Denzel L. Place

Denzel "Dago" Place went to be with his beautiful wife Edna again on November 1, 2017 surrounded by 4 generations of his family. Dago was born 4/13/1929 to Sherman and Jewell Fern Short-Place. He was a brother to Randall, Rae Dean, and Wanda. He was also very fond of his step mother Naomi Place and his step-sister Lacretia. Denzel enlisted into the Army where he served as a Private First Class in WWII in Japan. There, he earned the WWII Victory medal and the Army of Occupation Medal of Japan. From 10-5-1946 until 2-20-1948 Edna waited for her soldier to come home. Denzel married Edna on September 11th 1948 when he was 19 going on 21. They shared almost 69 years of wedded bliss together. Three children soon followed. Paulette, Richard and Denise were loved, adored and cherished deeply by their father. Denzel took pride in himself as a father, husband and a devoted family man. His numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and his great-great-grandchildren tickled his heart and made his soul smile brightly. He always made sure everyone was taken care of, even in his last weeks of life, he worried about his kids and if everyone was okay. Dago retired from General Motors after many years of full time employment there. He would often tell stories of all of his work place antics that may or may not have happened, and memories with his coworkers that he had made. Gramps never knew a stranger and everyone was a friend. He remembered names, faces, and something specific about every single person he has ever met. Before his Abdallah Shrine days, he was a high degree Mason. While in the Shriners, Dago participated in the Oriental Band where the brightly colored costumes and curly toed shoes with bells brought smiles to the faces of the masses during parades. (He was the best triangle player the Oriental Band had ever seen.) His favorite part of his Shriner days, was taking children and their families across the country to Shriner Children's Hospitals. He drove children and families until he was unable to do so. He waited until it was his turn to make the journeys spoiling those children as he did his own. The members of the OB, as well as members from other units were an extended family to him and he enjoyed many a social gathering with all of his Shriners and ladies. Denzel was preceded in death by his loving and devoted wife Edna Huber-Place; son, Richard L. Place; daughter, Paulette M. Place-Berberick; great-great-granddaughter Gwendolyn Nicole Smith; brother, Randall Place; sister, Rae Dean Place-Schroder. He is survived by his daughter Denise Place of the home, as well as numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and so many nieces and nephews that thought the world of him. The family is holding a visitation on Monday 11/6/2017 at Maple Hill Funeral home from 5pm-7pm with a funeral following on Tuesday 11/7/2017 at 10am at Maple Hill Funeral Home in Kansas City, Kansas burial will follow with full military honors at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. *BARS OPEN*

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Denzel L. Place

April 13, 1929 - November 1, 2017