John Lawrence Dold, born August 26, 1950, passed away peacefully into our Savior Jesus' arms on November 20, 2024, at the age of 74.

John grew up in Prairie Village, KS and attended Bishop Miege High School, where he played basketball and was Senior Class President. After briefly attending KU, he began working alongside his uncles, Tom and Vic Nigro, at the family business, Texas Tom's. Eventually discovering his entrepreneurial spirit, John went on to create Casino Parties by Wheeling 'n Dealing, a casino party rental business, in the late 1980s. Originally started to prepare his family members for an upcoming Vegas trip, the business grew quickly and ultimately provided decades of entertainment to the Kansas City area and beyond. Encompassing casino parties, mouse races, poker tournament fundraisers, and a bar poker league, Wheeling n' Dealing gave John the opportunity to showcase his creativity and skill at bringing people together for a good time. Doubling down on his passion for poker, John also worked for Ameristar Casino from its opening in 1997 to 2003, where he excelled as both a dealer and a supervisor of the poker room.

While poker was his life's work, John's life passion was truly his family. In 1974, John was invited to Sunday dinner at the Accurso house, where he met Mary Accurso and then promptly went home and told his parents he had met his future wife. Determined to impress her, for their first date, he flew Mary to St. Louis for a whirlwind night out on the town before flying back to Kansas City the same night. The over-the-top display worked, and they were married in 1976. Five years later, they welcomed their daughter, followed by three sons. John loved watching his kids grow and spent countless hours with them playing sports in the backyard and video games in the living room. In 2016, John was overjoyed to become a grandfather. He relished his role as Pawpaw and lit up every time he saw his two precious granddaughters.

In addition to being a man of business and family, John was always a man of laughter. His sharp sense of humor could lighten any room, and his jokes— often delightfully...bold — left everyone in stitches. Whether it was a quick-witted remark or a clever joke, John's humor was one of his greatest gifts and will be remembered by all who knew him.

John is preceded in death by his beloved parents, Joseph and Louise "Babe" Dold, and his father-in-law, Joseph Accurso. He is survived by his devoted wife Mary and cherished children: Jennifer, Michael (Pierina), Jonathan (Kayla), and Matthew, as well as his two adored granddaughters, Audriana (8) and Penelope (5). John also leaves behind his siblings, Julie (Dick), Joe (Patty) and Jim (Sally), as well as his mother-in-law, Augustine Accurso, many Accurso brothers/sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews on both sides of the family.

SCHEDULE UPDATE : A Celebration of Life, followed by a luncheon, will be held on Sunday, December 1, at 1:00 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Blue Springs, MO. If you feel so inclined, donations may be made in John's name to Kansas City Hospice House & Palliative Care, 9001 State Line Road, Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64114 https://kchospice.org/donate/

Private Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery

Rest in peace, John. Your humor, warmth, and devotion to your family and friends will live on in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know you.