TREFETHEN, Rex Leon - b. January 13, 1941 - d. January 31, 2016

[patyrn]

Rex Leon Trefethen, 75, lost his courageous battle with cancer on January 31, 2016.  He passed peacefully in his sleep in Kansas City, Missouri.  He was born January 13, 1941 in Independence, Kansas to Hazel and William Trefethen.

Rex grew up in Longton, Kansas where he was active in 4-H and helping with the family farm.  He graduated from Longton High School in 1959 and went on to college at the University of Kansas.  His love for trains and airplanes led him to a fulfilling career as a commercial pilot/flight instructor and a dispatcher for Santa Fe Railroad.  After 35 years with the railroad, he retired to the town of Louisburg, Kansas.  Never one to be idle, he purchased rental property and kept himself busy managing them.

Rex was a great appreciator of music and was very proud of his vast catalogue.  He had a lifelong love for learning and enjoyed sharing his music and knowledge with others.  He had a logical approach to the world and a curiosity for how things worked.  His quick wit, wonderful sense of humor, and contagious laughter will be missed by many.

Rex is survived by his sister, Wiladene Trefethen; his daughters, Messina Greathouse (William) and Kelli Albert (Ryan); his grandson, Regan Albert; his nephews, Joe and William Ritter; and numerous extended family and close friends.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Hazel and William; his sister, Claudie Jo; his son, Scott Trefethen; and lifelong friends, Ralph Mills, Bobby Burnette, Raymond Moore, and Leonard "Page" Mills III.

Services were held February 6, 2016 at the High Prairie United Methodist Church in Benedict, Kansas.  Interment will be at the Longton Cemetery in Longton, Kansas.  The date has not yet been set.

(published in the Prairie Star - 02/10/2016)