Harold Raasch Obituary

Harold Awald Raasch, 89, passed peacefully from this life and was joyfully reborn in Heaven on Thanksgiving morning, November 27, 2025.
Harold was born to Awald Edgar and Helen Maryann (Harper) Raasch on the family farm in Dewitt, Missouri, on Christmas Day, December 25, 1935.
Harold grew up on the farm with his three sisters, where he learned to work hard and enjoy the blessings of life - family, friends, and good home cooking, especially sausage gravy and coconut cream pie. He graduated from Carrollton High School in 1953 and earned a BS in Agriculture from the University of Missouri (Columbia) in 1957.
Harold met his wife, the love of his life, Becky (Pile) Raasch, in high school when he went with his Dad to buy a horse from the Pile farm. He caught Becky’s eye. She traded horses with her Dad so she could ride next to Harold with the spotted horse group of the saddle club in the American Royal parade. The rest is history. They attended the University of Missouri together, marrying on August 18, 1956, and enjoying 69 years of adventures in marriage together. He liked to say, “We met on a horse and have been horsing around ever since!”
After college, Harold enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a food inspector in Kansas City from 1957-1960. After being honorably discharged, he worked as a pharmaceutical salesman, owned a restaurant (at the corner of what is now 135th and Metcalf), and eventually began a successful career in sales at Farmland Industries. He left Farmland in the late 1970s and became an award-winning TCBY franchisee in Overland Park, Kansas. He delighted in his relationships with his customers and the young people who worked for him. When he sold the TCBY stores, he drove for Agenda: USA. For the last fifteen years of his career, he served Zephyr Products as the delivery truck driver and car-pooled with his son-in-law many mornings before sunrise. He was the best ambassador a company could hope to have. He cultivated strong relationships with customers and employees. He would proudly tell anyone who would listen that he especially enjoyed volunteering and working with men on the journey of incarceration through Brothers in Blue Reentry and other partner organizations.
He retired in 2016 at age 80. In his retirement, he enjoyed gardening, time with family and friends and, his favorite hobby, driving the boat at the lake. In his long life, he enjoyed hunting, water and snow skiing, travelling, watching football and baseball, and meeting new people everywhere he went.
In recent years, he thoroughly enjoyed his Tallgrass Creek community - his daily coffee group, bingo, and playing cards were some of his favorite activities. Throughout his life, the thing he always enjoyed the most was blessing, serving, and loving on people. He will be remembered for his jokes and goofy sayings.
Harold and Becky were blessed with two daughters, Cheryl (1962) and Sandy (1964). He was deeply proud of both of them. Though different, they both followed his example of serving others in the world. The family shared a season of owning TCBY stores in Kansas City. Cheryl became an attorney and works as corporate counsel for Zephyr, where she worked alongside her Dad for the finale of his career. Sandy worked in corporate management before becoming a missionary for the General Board of Global Ministries in Honduras in 2005 and moving to Belize in 2019.
His two grandchildren, Zachary (Sarah) and Jordan (Michael), were his pride and joy. He loved to spend time with them and took such joy in watching them grow up, beating them in a heated game of 10-point Pitch, and attending most of their games, and other activities. He was known to make a stop for ice cream any afternoon he had the opportunity to pick them up from school. They shared the best times as a family playing at the lake, snow skiing, and travelling together. “Papa Trouble,” as many family and friends would lovingly call him, took every opportunity to be a “Grandpa” for the young people in his life.
Harold was big-hearted and had a special twinkle in his eye. He had a quiet faith, a strong baritone singing voice at Church, and believed deeply in Jesus and the hope of the Resurrection.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and sisters Thelma May Valbracht and Helen Louise Fecher, and is survived by his wife, Rebecca Jo “Becky” (Pile) Raasch, his children, Cheryl Lynn Reinhardt (Randy), and Sandra Kaye Raasch, grandchildren Austin Zachary “Zach” Reinhardt (Sarah) and Jordan Rebecca Emley (Michael), sister Lillie Lucille Audsley, and all those who knew and loved him.
A Visitation in his honor will be held at the Wesley Chapel at the Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe, Leawood, KS, on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 9:30 A.M., followed by a Celebration of Life at 10:30 A.M.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be directed to: Missionary Work in Belize - checks can be made payable to Advance GCFA, “#00172A - Harold Raasch Memorial” in memo line and mail to: 9609 W 144th Street, Overland Park, KS 66221 or online:https://gbhemumc.my.site.com/hemgm/s/campaign/a3fPo000000D46vIAC/belize-undesignated (follow prompts and note “In Memory of Harold Raasch” in purpose or Brothers in Blue Reentry, PO Box 355, Lansing, KS 66043 or on the website at: https://brothersinbluereentry.org
Harold was a member of Kansas Cremation Services. Online guestbook and obituary at www.kansascremation.com.

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