Funeral services for John Flower, 68, former Leavenworth County Commissioner from Basehor, were held over the weekend.

Flower served as a county commissioner from 2008 to 2012, representing the third district including Basehor and Tonganoxie, and most recently was serving as a member of the Basehor Planning Commission. He died at Kansas University Hospital on Tuesday.

Flower was known for advocating a plan to pave gravel roads, add county parks and recreation offerings and opening additional county offices to provide emergency response and other services.

He also argued for more county services, especially expanded emergency medical response, in the more rural southern areas of Leavenworth County.

David Breuer, Basehor mayor, appointed Flower to the planning commission last year and said he considered Flower a colleague and friend. He said Flower was a problem-solver and a great planner.

“He brought strategic planning skills to the board,” Breuer said, noting that Flower’s time as an executive with Southwestern Bell gave him great foresight. “He was really good about putting people together, putting teams together, to plan for the future.”

Flower was born on Sept. 8, 1946, in Kansas City, Kansas the youngest of two children born to Dale and Frankie (Perry) Flower. John was a graduate of Turner High School and Rockhurst University. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Era. John was an executive at Southwestern Bell Telephone (now AT&T) and retired in 1999 after a 33-year career.

He was survived by his wife, two children, two stepchildren, two grandchildren and three stepgrandchildren.

A celebration of life was held Saturday; his full obituary can be found here. His obituary notes that the last ten years of his life were made possible through organ donation.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Basehor United Methodist Church or to the charity of your choice, both in care of the Alden-Harrington Funeral Home.