Senator John E. Downs. 1917 to 2003:

Senator John E. Downs, 86, St. Joseph, passed away Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003, at a local health care center. Mr. Downs was born May 12,1917, in St. Joseph, where he had been a lifelong resident. He was a graduate of Christian Brothers High School and St. Joseph Junior College, receiving an Associates Arts Degree in 1937. He received a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Missouri in 1940. He was also awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Science at Missouri Western State College in 2002. On March 26, 1942, Mr. Downs entered the United States Marine Corps Reserve as a 2nd Lieutenant. In May 1942, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., and became a fighter pilot. He served as a member of the famous Dawn Patrol Marine Corps. flying unit which battled the entrenched Japanese for air supremacy in the South Pacific during World War II. He flew missions out of the Solomon Islands and was shot down over Emira for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943. On October 27, 1952, John was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He also held a commercial pilots license. Mr. Downs served as a Missouri State Representative from 1957-1958 and was elected to the Missouri State Senate in 1960 and served until 1970. In October 1977, Mr. Downs was appointed U.S. Minister by President Carter, to be the American representative to the Council of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada. He was instrumental in establishing Missouri Western College at its present location and was a strong supporter of the college. Senator Downs had also previously served two terms as prosecuting attorney of Buchanan County. For 20 years, Mr. Downs was affiliated with the Downs-Pierce Law Firm, later retiring as an attorney with the Pope, Nichols and Hicks Law Firm. Mr. Downs was a member of the Democrats Club, Downtown Lions Club and Phi Delta Phi Fraternity. He had received many awards from various community organizations. Mr. Downs married the former Donna I. Betts in 1978. She preceded him in death on Nov. 14, 2002. He was also preceded in death by his parents, William E. Bud and Marguerite (Collins) Downs; three brothers, Bill, Louis and Robert Downs; two sisters, Marguerite Margy Downs and Mary Susan Downs. Mr. Downs is survived by one step-son, William J. Rissler and his wife, Rhonda of St. Joseph, Mo.; two step-daughters, Rebecca Parrent and her husband, Ross of Denver, Co., and Elizabeth Pratt and her husband Brett of Arlee, Mont.; five step-grandchildren, David and Evan Rissler, Rachel Parrent and Jessica and Adrienne Pratt; one brother, Jerome Downs of San Francisco, Calif., and Robert Downs of St. Louis, Mo.; two cousins, John Casey of Brookfield, Mo. and John Downs, of Kansas City, Mo.; and several nieces and nephews. Services honoring Senator John Downs will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 14, 2003, in the Leah Spratt Multi-Purpose Classroom Building, Bebe & Crosby Kemper Theatre Room 101, at Missouri Western State College under the direction of the Heaton-Bowman-Smith and Sidenfaden Chapel. The family will receive friends at the college one hour prior to the service. The Reverend Neil Blair officiating, and eulogy and comments by Senator Thomas Eagleton. Mr. Downs has donated his body to medical science at the University of Kansas Medical Center, School of Medicine. A private family inurnment will be held at Mount Mora Cemetery at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to John E. Downs, Educational Fund of Missouri Western State College.