James Franklin Giddley

James Franklin Giddley, 72, Independence, Mo., died July 15, 2010, at Research Medical Center. Funeral services were held Tuesday, July 20, at Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Mo., with burial in Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Missouri School for the Deaf. Mr. Giddley was born June 25, 1938, in Harrisonville. He was a student in the Harrisonville public school system through eighth grade, graduated as valedictorian from the Missouri School for the Deaf, Fulton, and attended Gallaudet College, Washington, D.C. He interned with the Cass County Democrat-Missourian as a pressman before working as a pressman and printer at Vessels Printing Co., North Kansas City, Mo.; as a printer at The Kansas City Star; and as a Mail Handler at the main post office in Kansas City, Mo. He was a former treasurer of the Jackson County chapter of the Missouri Association of the Deaf, and he helped teach an adult education course in American Sign Language at Truman High School, Independence, Mo., as well as a home school sign language course. He also was an ASL student lab volunteer at Maple Woods Community College, Kansas City. As a deaf pilot, he owned a small airplane. He was an active member of Crescent Creek Community Church, Raytown, Mo. He was dearly loved by family and friends and will be sorely missed.
He was preceded in death by his father, Marion Franklin Giddley, and his mother, Lucretia Bell Stowe. He is survived by two sisters: Frances Cowan, Garden City, Mo., and Martha Harris, Branson West, Mo.; a son, Charles Giddley, Independence, Mo.; a daughter, Beverly Davis, Belton, Mo.; and two grandchildren: Trey Davis and Isabella Davis, both of Belton.