Carl Anthony Blando, 84, passed away peacefully at home on November 7, surrounded by his devoted wife and companion of 28 years, Dianne, and family after an extended illness.

Carl had a gift for making friends wherever he went and maintained deep friendships going back to childhood.  He enjoyed telling stories and loved nothing more than social gatherings over dinner with his wife and close friends, including Jay DeSimone, Mike Roberts, Dave Karaff, Jay Scardino, Chuck Loomis, Gary Coleman and many, many others. He loved being outdoors, particularly at the beach, going to a ball game, and enjoyed traveling and going to the movies and out to eat with Dianne. She loved his beautiful blue eyes, his singing voice and infectious laugh. He was also known for being a sharp dresser. Carl and Dianne spent ten years living in Sarasota, Florida before returning to Kansas City in 2004. They enjoyed travels to the Caribbean, Hawaii, and visiting with children and grandchildren all over the United States.

Carl was born at home in northeast Kansas City on February 27, 1934 to Phillip and Katherine (Spinello) Blando. He was the third of four children, with two older sisters and a younger brother.  His father immigrated to Kansas City from Bagheria, Sicily in 1921 and his mother was born to Sicilian immigrants in 1910 in North Little Rock, Arkansas before moving to the Kansas City area shortly after her birth.  Phillip and Katherine were part of a close-knit Italian community in northeast Kansas City that emphasized faith, family, and lengthy Sunday dinners featuring home-made sauce and meatballs and spirited conversations. Carl grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family in an environment that blended old-world traditions with a desire to work hard and take advantage of all that America offered.

As a child and into early adulthood, Carl spent much of his free time at the Boys Club in northeast Kansas City, where he enjoyed boxing, basketball, baseball, and football and later, coaching. He graduated from Manual High School in northeast Kansas City, where he was a starting lineman on the football team. He later tried out for varsity basketball, but didn't make the team.  Nonetheless, as he told the Kansas City Star in 2008, the coach was so impressed with his acumen that he asked Carl to sit next to him on the bench for the entire year to "bounce ideas off of him."

Following high school, Carl proudly served his country as a Medic in the U.S. Army. After receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Kansas City and in 1961 married Jane Gabhart. The couple reared six children before divorcing in 1989. He coached his children's basketball teams at St. Francis Xavier and was renowned for bringing discipline, high expectations, and the occasional disputed call with referees to parochial school basketball.

While he supported his growing family by owning two barber shops, baseball and coaching remained his greatest passions and essential to understanding his nature.  In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he began coaching in the Casey Stengel League and then the Ban Johnson League, Kansas City's summer collegiate leagues. With the support of his longtime friends and coaches, Jay DeSimone, Mike Roberts and Dave Karaff, Carl managed the Butternut Bread team to three consecutive league championships from 1973-1975.  He was later inducted into the Ban Johnson League Hall of Fame as well as the team from those championship years.

Carl's coaching, guidance, and networks were instrumental in helping many young men attend college on baseball scholarships.  He mentored many aspiring athletes and was generous and untiring in passing down his love for the game of baseball and the art of hitting and throwing to all ages. He helped future Cy Young Award pitcher Rick Sutcliffe navigate his ascent to the major leagues in the mid-1970s.

Impressed with his managing record, the Kansas City Royals offered Carl a part-time scouting job in 1977 and quickly promoted him to a full-time position in Scouting and Player Development. He worked closely with the Royals' legendary scouting director, Art Stewart.  Carl demonstrated a particular expertise in identifying outstanding pitchers, including future Cy Young Award winner David Cone and Danny Jackson, a left-hander on the '85 Royals World Championship team. Carl traveled nationwide in pursuit of baseball prospects and became well-known to many college baseball programs and coaches.  In 1987, the Royals recognized his contributions to the Scouting Department with a Ewing M. Kaufman Award.

After parting ways with the Royals in 2000, he worked for the Milwaukee Brewers for four years.  After retiring from major league baseball scouting, he stayed active by working with Rockhurst University's baseball team and providing hitting lessons to another generation of players. Carl was active in the founding of the Thomas A. Simone Scholarship Fund and served on its Board of Directors. In 2016, the Kansas City Metro Baseball Coaches Association honored him for his lifetime of service and contributions.  That same year, the Midwest Professional Baseball Scouts Association honored Carl for "Special Achievement in Scouting" for his passion, dedication, and lifetime contributions to the sport.

Carl is survived by wife, Dianna Nylund Blando; six children: Carl (Owen Keenhen) of Chicago; Mary MacDonell (Donald) of South Bend, Indiana; Denise Moore (Curt Heeney) of Lee's Summit, Missouri; Phillip (Katherine) of Washington, DC; Timothy (Monica) of Houston, and Jon (Kim) of Los Angeles.  He is also survived by three step-children:  Lisa Burgess of Kansas City, Lori Burgess-Osgood of Kansas City; and Richard (Jennifer) Burgess, of Overland Park, Kansas.

He is survived by eighteen grandchildren: Allison (John) MacDonell Black; Donny MacDonell; Katie MacDonell; Eileen MacDonell; John Paul MacDonell; Colin MacDonell; Mary Moore; Colin Moore; Ryan Moore; George Blando; Katherine Blando; Paxton Blando; Loch Blando; Tinsley Blando;  William Blando; Sue Blando; Jordan Burgess; and Matthew Burgess.  Surviving great-grandchildren are Mara, Brigid, and Soren Black.

In addition, he is survived by his sister, Carmeline Guerra of Kansas City and nine nieces and nephews:  Christina (Robert) Guerra Thompson, Phillip (Allison) Guerra, Richard Guerra; Michael Boniello; Fred (Mary Anne) Boniello; John (JoAnn) Boniello; Steve Boniello; and Lisa (Neil) Boniello Moynihan; as well as many cousins. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Phillip and Katherine Blando, a sister, Josephine Boniello, and a brother, Phillip Jr., and brothers-in-law, Fred Boniello and Manuel Guerra.

Visitation will be 3-8 p.m. Monday, November 12, at Passantino Bros. Funeral Home, 2117 Independence Blvd., Kansas City, MO. Visitation will also be 9:30-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 13, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11822 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO, where the Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers the family requests that contributions be made to the Thomas A. Simone Award Fund, Alzheimers' Association or to Missouri Palliative and Hospice Care in Carl's name. The family would like to particularly thank Jeanne's Place at the Care Haven Foundation Day Program for all their support and love. Donations to Jeanne's Place may be addressed to 3848 West 75th Street, Prairie Village, Kansas 66208.

The family would also like to thank Carl's caregivers Eduardo, LaTasha, Richard and Philip, who were indispensable in making his last days comfortable and peaceful.