February 20, 1933 - April 1, 2024

Amos Overton Durrett, Jr., 91, passed away peacefully April 1, 2024 at Bishop Spencer Place, Kansas City, MO.

Overton, as he was known by family and friends, was born on February 20, 1933, the first child of Amos Overton Durrett, Sr. and Mary Mildred (Tandy) Durrett in Lexington, MO where they were both teachers.  He enjoyed a wonderful childhood and was joined by a sister, Virginia Ann, in 1937.  In 1946, the family moved to Marshall, MO where his father was principal of Marshall High School and Overton graduated in the class of 1950.  Many lasting friendships were made in Marshall, an idyllic mid-Missouri town.

Overton attended Missouri Valley College in Marshall for one year before transferring to the University of Missouri in Columbia where he graduated in 1954 as an accounting major with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.  He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta social fraternity, active on campus and a cadet in Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC).  Following graduation, he served in the United States Air Force as a First Lieutenant (1954-1957) with duties as Navigator and Personnel Officer at Langley AFB in Norfolk, VA.  Following the completion of his military service, he decided to stay in Virginia and attended law school at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, graduating with a Juris Doctorate in Civil Law in 1960 and a Master in Law and Taxation in 1963.  During his law school days, he also served as Assistant and Acting Dean of Men for the College of William and Mary (1957–1959).  In 1960, he became a member of the Virginia State Bar Association.

Due in part to his father’s failing health, he decided to return to Missouri as an Attorney Associate with the former Lathrop, Righter law firm in downtown Kansas City.  He was employed by Arthur Anderson (CPAs) in the Tax Department for three years and became a member of the Missouri Bar Association and the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants.

During those years, he lived at different locations around the Country Club Plaza, belonged to the former Bachelor’s Club and assisted with the formation of the Huntington Investment Club which continues to this day.  Most of all, he developed wonderful friendships.  One of those friendships became very special on December 30, 1966 when he and Sue Mohler Dorsey were married in Columbia, MO, the beginning of a wonderful and loving relationship spanning 57 years.  On April 6, 1968, their son, John Dorsey Durrett, was born in Kansas City, MO which was a joyous occasion.  They continued to live in the Plaza/Brookside area.

In 1966, Overton began his own law practice with an office on the Country Club Plaza for over 30 years, then in Brookside for another 15 years and finally in his home office until he was 90 years of age.  He truly loved his professional career, combining his legal knowledge with his CPA designation and specialized in matters of estate planning and taxation.  Many of his clients became lifelong friends.  He was a member of the Missouri Bar Association, the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants and former member of the Estate Planning Society.  He was also a member of the Downtown Rotary Club #13, the Ararat Shrine and Masonic Lodge.  For 57 years, he was a member of Community Christian Church where he served as deacon, elder and moderator of the church board as well as many committee positions.  With a sincere interest in genealogy, he held memberships in the First Families of Virginia, Washington Family Descendants, and the Huguenot Society of Missouri.

Overton was a loving husband and father as well as a guiding light, soft spoken confidante and loyal friend.  He was predeceased by his parents and a brother-in-law, Dr. William R. Krauss of Columbus, OH.  Survivors include his wife, Sue, of the home; their son, John of Kansas City; his sister and brother-in-law, Virginia and Steve Otto of Lee’s Summit, MO; a sister-in-law, Mary Ann Dorsey Krauss of Columbus, OH; six nieces and nephews; numerous cousins and many longtime friends.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on April 20^th in the Combs Chapel at Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64113 followed by a reception at Bishop Spencer Place, 4301 Madison, Kansas City MO 64111.  Inurnment will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery near Stet, MO at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the KC Rotary Club 13 Foundation, PO Box 412457, Kansas City, MO 64141; Mt. Olivet Cemetery Association, c/o Goppert Financial Bank, PO Box 222, Norborne, MO 64668 or a charity of your choice.