April 29, 1931 – December 02, 2025
James E. (Jim) Gladbach, of rural Deerfield, Missouri, passed away in the early morning of December 2nd, 2025, at Freeman Hospital, Fort Scott, Kansas. Jim was born on April 29th, 1931, on a farm outside of Mendon, Missouri. He was the son of Frederick W. Gladbach and Catherine A. Gladbach (Ryan).
The family moved to Kansas City, MO, where Jim graduated from Lillis High School in 1949. Jim received his bachelor’s degree from Central Missouri State College and started his teaching and coaching career in 1954 at Blackburn High School in Missouri. From there, he taught and coached at Sacred Heart High School, Sedalia, MO, from 1961 to 1969. After receiving his master’s degree at Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now PSU), he taught and coached at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, KS, from 1970 to 1980. He taught and coached at Uniontown High School in Kansas for one year before teaching and coaching at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, KS.
Jim was an exceptional basketball player. He was selected to Parade Magazine’s Top Fifty High School Basketball Players in his senior year. He played basketball at Central Missouri State College and was a member of the Mules’ 1951 Hall of Fame team. He was tapped as an alternate to the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
Jim’s entire teaching career was in the subjects of general mathematics, general science, drafting, engineering graphics, and physical education. His coaching career included soccer, cross country, and track at the high school and college level. But his primary area of expertise was basketball. After coaching high school ball in Blackburn and Sedalia, he was named the assistant basketball coach at Kansas State College of Pittsburg during the 1969-70 season. He was later named head basketball coach of Neosho County Community College. After retirement, he volunteered his basketball acumen in support of the Fort Scott Community College Lady Greyhounds. While in Sedalia during the turbulent 1960s, Jim and his wife Pat were vocal and visible supporters of the racial integration efforts of the time. Jim joined the Knights of Columbus in 1962 and later served a term as District Deputy in southeast Kansas.
Jim married Patricia J. Renicker on February 11th, 1956. That union produced five children. Jim is survived by James P. Gladbach (Lucy) of Deerfield, MO; Jeanne A. McKee (John) of Webb City, MO; Julia C. Gladbach of Fort Scott, KS; fifteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings: Frederick Jr., Kathleen, and John; his wife Patricia, and two children: Mary E. Harkins (Frank) and Paul M. Gladbach (Jody).
Services will be held at 10:00 Monday, December 8th, at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 4:00 until 5:00 at the Cheney Witt Chapel. The Rosary will be prayed at 5:00. Memorials are suggested to either St. Mary’s Catholic School or FSCC Women’s Basketball and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.
