Monroe Abel Burgess, IV

Monroe Abel Burgess, IV was born December 11, 1968, to Monroe Abel III and Patricia Jeane Burgess.  He was the youngest of five children and from the very beginning, he demonstrated a love of outdoor activities.  Monroe was daring and fearless.

Monroe Abel Burgess, IV was born December 11, 1968, to Monroe Abel III and Patricia Jeane Burgess.  He was the youngest of five children, and from the very beginning, he demonstrated a love of outdoor activities.  Monroe was daring and fearless, never hesitating to set out on new adventures.

He began school in the Kansas City, Missouri school district which did not provide enough of a learning challenge for him. The family moved into the Shawnee Mission School district, and Monroe quickly adapted and excelled in their curriculum.  He loved reading and all sports.  He played baseball, basketball, and dearly loved football.

Monroe graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School and received a football scholarship from Coffeyville Community College.  He also attended classes at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. Later in life, he played arena football with the Kansas Koyotes (a semi-professional football league).

While Monroe’s interest in science led him to college to study Biology, he found his true passion when he went to work for Midwest Transplant Network, an organ and tissue procurement organization. He understood that the human body was meant for something much greater than a single person.  He transitioned roles to work in whole body donation and ultimately discovered that he could contribute to this noble field by assisting with labs and logistics.  He didn’t need the glory of being on the front line, he put his skills to use in ways that elevated the realm of donation while keeping him anchored firmly to his purpose by doing what he was best at to enhance and save lives.  He is renowned in his field, beloved to all that he worked with, supervised, collaborated with, and mentored.  His contributions to the world of donation will live on long after him.

Although he was “never” going to get married, he met the love of his life Brandy, and the two became one in 2009.  He and Brandy moved to Arizona and became the parents of Sloane Addison. They moved back to the Kansas City area in 2017 so Sloane would be able to experience a better education and build a stronger relationship with her grandparents and extended family.  Monroe made all decisions with Sloane and Brandy before his own needs.

Monroe was a loyal husband, father, son, brother, and friend.  He strongly believed in family and dearly loved his wife and daughter.  The three were together every chance they had. He and Sloane loved fishing, hunting, and all things outdoors.  He was a country boy at heart, and he loved visiting the farm every time he could. He wanted nothing more than to raise cattle in his retirement years. Being the father of a daughter who loves music, dancing, and acting, he even participated in a production with her.

Monroe transitioned peacefully in his sleep on August 13, 2023.  He will be missed by his wife, daughter, mother, siblings, and friends.

He is survived by his loving wife Brandy, daughter Sloane, his mother Patricia Bates (Douglas), his brothers Norris Ashley, Darryl Ashley, his sisters Bianca Hines (Wyndell), and Patrice Burgess along with his Father-in-law and Mother-in-law Jim and Judy Warner, brother-in-law David Warner (Julie), nephews, nieces, other uncles, aunts, and cousins, and even his sweet bulldog, Ronin.  His father preceded him in death.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, Aug 21, 2023, at 11:00 am  at Queen of the Holy Rosary, 22779 Metcalf Rd, Bucyrus, KS 66013. Visitation will take place prior from 9-10:30, and the rosary will be prayed at 1030. A reception to follow after Mass. The mass will be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/QHRWEA

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking to honor one of Monroe’s greatest accomplishments in life, his daughter Sloane.  Contributions can be made to a fund that will be set up for Sloane’s education and future dreams.  You can make the contributions to Venmo @Brandy-Burgess-8 and they will be applied to an account in the near future.