John L. Flora
John L. Flora, 72, of Holden, Missouri passed away peacefully the morning of Sunday, October 27, 2024 at the Kansas City Hospice House.
John was born on February 17, 1952, in Harrisonville, Missouri, to Wesley and Marvina (Shoup) Flora.
He was raised in Gunn City and attended East Lynne Primary School. His freshman year the family moved to Pleasant Hill, where he attended Pleasant Hill High School, graduating in 1970.
After High School, John joined the United States Army, serving in Germany until 1974. While home on leave, and on a whim, John went with his friend to the Holden High School Homecoming dance, and met the love of his life, Judy Meads. After a brief courtship and months of writing letters, they were united in marriage on May 27, 1973.
John had a passion for cars at a young age and began his automotive journey working for Classic Cars of Kansas City. After realizing he wanted to work for himself, he took the chance, and at the age of 27 opened John’s Body Shop.
John was a master of his craft and took pride in every vehicle that came through the shop. Whether it was doing an estimate, pulling a frame, or spending hours in the paint booth, he never considered it work. For years he would be at the shop from 8:00 a.m. until midnight, at times coming home to help the girls practice their pitching or watching their softball games, then go right back to work.
When he was younger, Judy would often have to take dinner to the shop just to get him to eat. If you ever needed John, you always knew where to find him.
When he wasn’t working on customer’s vehicles, he was restoring his own. His passion for antique cars, trucks, and motorcycles was known far and wide. His love and appreciation for things from the past was evident by the care and precise attention to even the slightest detail that went into everything he touched. From vehicles to home projects, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix. Unbeknownst to many, he was completely self-taught. If it could be done, he would figure it out.
If you could get John out of the shop, you still couldn’t get him away from anything with a motor. John, Judy, and the girls spent many weekends taking his beloved 1933 Ford Coupe to cruise nights and car shows, including the World of Wheels at Bartle Hall, which he won best of show in 1985.
John was a gear head through and through, which led him to his next adventure; drag racing. He traveled to Gainesville, Florida to attend the Frank Holly School of Drag Racing and returned with a need for speed. The next several years you could find John at the drag strip doing what he loved, with Judy and the girls by his side. In 1997 he secured his biggest racing achievement by winning Kansas City’s Fastest Doorslammer race at KCIR.
Although he loved going fast, his greatest love was for his wife of 52 years Judy, his daughters Tami and Tracy, and his 6 grandkids. He was so very proud of his family and didn’t hesitate to tell anyone who visited his shop.
Survivors include his wife of the home: Judy; two daughters: Tami Thieman of Holden, MO and Tracy Gilcrest (Jack) of Holden, MO; two sisters: Susan Ballard (Virgil) of Lee’s Summit, MO, and Patsy Reinsch of Hilton Head Island, SC; six grandchildren: Graysen and AJ Thieman and Ava, Sophia, Gabriel, and Gwendolyn Gilcrest.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 5, at Williams Funeral Chapel in Holden, with Pastor Cliff Woolery officiating.
Interment followed at the Holden Cemetery with a dinner to follow at the body shop for friends and family.
The family received friends Monday evening at Williams Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Old Drum Animal Shelter or the Kansas City Hospice House.
Online condolences may be left at www.williamsfuneralchapel.net
