William "Bill" Brian Shope, 82, Harrisonville, Missouri, died Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at his home. Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville. Memorial contributions may be made to the Food 4 Thought Backpack Program or the Cass Community Health Foundation Dental Program.

Bill was born September 15, 1932 in Norborne, Missouri, the son of George William and Verna Dorothea Wilhemina (Shildmyer) Shope. He was a 1950 graduate of Norborne High School and received his BA from Missouri University, Columbia, in 1959. Bill was a U.S. Navy Veteran, serving during the Korean War. He married Katharine Ann Whiteside on September 13, 1955 in Carrollton, Missouri.

Bill worked as an underwriter supervisor for Farmers Insurance from 1959-1992. He had lived in Prairie Village, Kansas before moving to Harrisonville in 1988.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Katharine, of the home; one sister, Maxine Shope Troutman, Carrollton, Missouri; daughter, Rebecca Shope Bush and husband, Denzil, St. Louis, Missouri, and their children, Charles Bush his wife Emily and children Henry and Martha, Katharine Bush Watkins her husband Brett, and Andrew Bush his fiancé Mary; daughter, Jane Shope Broll and husband, Peter, Shawnee, Kansas, and their children, Anthony Broll, Matthew Broll and fiancée, Cassidy, Samuel Broll and Jessica Broll; daughter, Sara Shope Jones and husband, Gregory, Shawnee, Kansas, and children, Gregory Jr. and wife, Christina and children, Gregory Henry III and Chloe, Sydney Jones, Collin Jones and Courtney Jones. Also surviving are numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.