James Allen Yankovich

James Allen Yankovich, 96, Kansas City, Kansas passed away peacefully on August 6. 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, sawdust, artistic projects, and the occasional bowling trophy. He was a devoted husband, father, Korean War veteran, master handyman, creative spirit, funny story-teller and a lifelong servant of St. Patrick’s Church and School.

Jim was born on the kitchen table of the family home on October 4, 1928, in Kansas City, Kansas—a dramatic entrance that set the tone for a memorable life. He was the son of Michael and Antoinette (Gojmerac) Yankovich. He spent his childhood in Strawberry Hill, where fun was the rule, mischief was occasional, and friendships were built to last a lifetime—and he loved to share those memories through his animated stories that kept everyone laughing.

He attended St. John the Baptist Grade School, entering as a lefty—but thanks to the nuns’ no-nonsense approach to penmanship, he left writing right-handed (though everything else stayed proudly lefty). He graduated from Bishop Ward High School in 1947 and soon after answered the call to serve in the Korean War.

He married the love of his life, Carol Ann Kaminski on September 29, 1956, and together they built a life—and a home—both literally and figuratively. Jim designed and constructed the house where they raised their family and lived for nearly 70 years. Every nail in the house he hammered. A skilled builder and remodeler by trade, he could fix, improve, or reinvent just about anything. At the strong urging of his youngest daughter, he crafted a tree house that most children could only dream of. Before his kids hit their teen years, he began construction on the basement, doubling the size of the house and providing a fun family room filled with pool, ping-pong, game tables and pinball machines. That basement, lovingly called 'The Dungeon” became the heart of countless extended family gatherings—and, let’s be honest, gave the loud teenyboppers a place to hang out and give the parents some peace. He passed that talent through hands-on projects with his kids, always mixing practical skills with a little creativity and fun.

Jim had a natural talent for art and design from an early age. As a kid, he was often found sketching cars, planes, and just about anything else that caught his eye. That creative streak only deepened during his service in the war, where he spent downtime drawing intricate pictures of military aircraft. That artistic ability stayed with him for life—he built model airplanes and gliders, designed posters for church fundraisers, added flair to his children’s school projects, and designed and built Pinewood Derby and Soap Box Derby cars with his son that combined engineered precision with speed and style. If you needed something to look good, Jim was your guy. He also helped coach his daughter’s softball team, proving he had just as much patience for underhand pitches as he did for power tools. Jim was always involved—on the field, in the garage designing water cup holders for the team or cheering from the sidelines.

Family vacations took the crew to Minnesota, Canada, and Colorado, where Jim enjoyed fishing when he wasn’t helping his kids untangle a line, camping when he wasn’t in a muddy downpour, and the kind of quiet beauty that came with the bubbling mountain streams, star-lit nights and fish-filled lakes. Nothing like waking up to the smell of bacon he was cooking on the Coleman stove or eating the fresh fish he carefully prepared.

Jim was a dedicated member of St. Patrick’s Church. He helped build the school’s first basement stage and spent countless summers sanding and prepping desks for the new school year. As a founding member of the church’s Green Club, he pitched in wherever help was needed—from serving at the Lenten fish dinners and flipping burgers at the annual ice cream social to supporting other parish projects, always with a quiet reliability and a dry sense of humor that made the work lighter.

Jim and Carol also volunteered together at St. Mary’s Food Kitchen—just one of the many ways they gave back. Whether serving meals or washing dishes, they showed up with kind hearts and steady hands, expecting nothing in return but always giving their best with a smile and a warm welcome.

And then there was bowling. Jim was a regular at KC Bowl, where he competed in leagues and played three days a week and was affectionately known there as “The Stud.” He even bowled with professionals while they were on tour—and at the age of 85, bowled a perfect 300 game, an accomplishment that was featured in the Kansas City Star. He took it all in stride, though his family never stopped bragging about it for him.

At the age of 90, he was honored to participate in the Kansas City Honor Flight with his son - a whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C., where they visited the nation's war memorials. During the journey, he had the special opportunity to meet and spend time with fellow veteran and statesman Bob Dole. Upon their return, Jim received a hero’s welcome at the Kansas City airport, another highlight for him and a moment his family will never forget.

Jim is preceded in death by his wife, Carol, his parents Micheal and Antoinette Yankovich, his brothers Michael Jr., Joseph, and William and his sisters Mary Sims, Barbara Schnieders, Helen Zeto and Rose Marie Harris.

Survivors include his son, James Yankovich II, of Boca Raton, FL; two daughters, Cynthia Yankovich (Kirk), of Rancho Santa Fe, CA and Lisa Covert (Geoff) of Naples, FL; one granddaughter, Elyse Zauchenberger (Michael) of Overland Park, KS and one great-grandson, Theodore James Zauchenberger, and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will start at 9:30 am followed by mass at 10:30 am on Saturday, August 9th, 2025, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, KS. A Celebration of Life luncheon sponsored by St. Patrick Green Club will immediately follow at the parish center. The family welcomes all who knew and loved Jim to join them in celebrating his life. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Jim’s memory to St. Patrick Green Club or St. Patrick School, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas 66112.

Jim’s legacy lives on in the homes he built, the church he served, the pins he knocked down, and the lives he touched. He will be dearly missed—but we’ll think of him whenever we smell fresh sawdust, spot something with a bit of artistic flair, or watch someone bowl a strike and pretend like it’s no big deal—just like Jim always did. May he rest in eternal peace, knowing that his legacy lives on in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to have known him.