John "Catfish" Alvy Ready

John Alvy Ready, “Catfish” of Independence, Missouri, passed away on November 13, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. 

John was predeceased by his father, John, and his mother, Hellen. He is survived by his wife, Nellie Jo (Bransteitter) of the home; his sister, Anna Dolores “Dee” Ready, Independence, MO; his children:  Paul Ready (Naty) Etters, PA; Linda Smitka, Independence, MO;  Annette Scranton, Blue Springs, MO; Melissa Cramer (Joseph), Independence, MO and his grandchildren:  Jennifer Smitka (Brandon), Liberty, MO; Tamera Speer (Ryan), Independence, MO; Kimberly Newell (Daniel), Independence, MO; Samantha Goodman (Zach), Republic, MO; Katie Scranton (Andrew), Lee’s Summit, MO; Ashley Huebner (Mickel), Harrisonville, MO; Brandi Boehm, Brooklyn, NY; and 13 great grandchildren.

John was born on April 29, 1939, to John Kynaston Ready and Hellen Dorothy Ready (O’Mara) in Kansas City, Missouri. John and Jo married in February of 1960 and had 63 wonderful years together.

John worked for General Motors at the Kansas City Leed’s location for 31 years. After retiring in 1989, John took pleasure in spending his time fishing, hunting, and golfing.

During this past weekend, John shared with his family his deep and unending love for them. 

As each of them grieves his death, they find comfort in the memories they shared with him. They talk of how he enjoyed not only fishing, hunting, and golf, but also the beauty of nature.

They vividly remember the stories he told of his bass and crappie fishing trips to Caddo Lake in Texas and many other lakes across the United States and Canada; his elk hunting trips to Colorado and Oregon; deer, turkey and quail hunting in Missouri and Kansas; and his portaging and canoeing adventures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. 

John remembered every swing and putt of his day at the golf course.

John told his stories with so much enthusiasm, detail, and laughter that all who heard them felt they had been with him when they happened.  All John’s friends and family appreciated his zest for life, his love of nature’s beauty, and his resounding laughter. 

John was a fan of all sports, especially the KC Chiefs, KC Royals, and Missouri University teams.

John was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. A fine man. A true friend. An honorable citizen. A helpful neighbor. A good human being who never met a stranger. 

He was a wise and loving patriarch to his family. He touched all their lives with love and laughter. They will all miss him and trust that in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead he will watch over them in a new way as their lives go on without his boisterous laughter and his deep, blue, Irish eyes.