The head of the LanFranca table sits empty today as we say goodbye to Peter LanFranca, fun-loving husband, brother, dad, and papa. He passed away on Monday, September 14th, 2020, from COVID-19 at the age of 73.

Pete was born in Kansas City, Missouri on August 31st, 1947 to Louise & Tom LanFranca. Diagnosed with Polio at the age of two, Pete was a fighter from the beginning. He was quarantined at a hospital away from his family, but through rehabilitation and God's grace, came home after five months. The braces he wore on his legs until third grade didn't slow him down; they only made him more determined, compassionate, and self-sufficient.

Pete would often say: "You either like me, or you don't." But the truth is that most people did. He was known for his charm, work ethic, and generosity. Pete got his first job at seven years old as a parking lot attendant for his uncle and by choice, never saw another jobless day. He spent his teenage years assembling weekend issues of the Kansas City Star, stocking the Montgomery Ward's warehouse on roller skates, and serving up burgers at Texas Toms. In his free time, he studied at Northeast High School and earned his Eagle Scout Award. Pete settled on a career in insurance sales at the age of 21. He studied at Rockhurst College, started his own company, and was proudly self-employed for more than 30 years.

Yet Pete would say his greatest achievement was creating a family with his wife, Sharon (Hendricks) LanFranca, whom he married in 1969. The two hailed from the same Northeast Kansas City neighborhood and shared a passion for movies, food, and travel. They went on to have three daughters and eight grandchildren. Pete hosted legendary Sunday family dinners, with meatballs and funny stories dished out in equal measure. He took any chance he could to travel the world, and to the best of his ability, saw and critiqued nearly every film and Broadway show that came to Kansas City. Pete believed in luck, though his Monday night poker buddies might joke that he didn't have much of it. Regardless, he continually found his way to a fishing pond or poker table and came out happier for it.

He was loved, admired, and will be missed by his wife Sharon; his brother Steve; his children Natalie Hodson, Nicole Dingley, and Nina LaFavor; and his grandchildren Pete & Luke Hodson, Mae, Nolan & Cal Dingley, and Meyer, Jasper, & Silas LaFavor. Pallbearers include his sons-in-law Jamie Dingley, Billy LaFavor, and Chris Hodson, as well as his nephews, Stephen LanFranca, Joseph LanFranca, and Eric Hawblitzel. He is proceeded in death by his parents, Tom & Louise LanFranca, and his twin brother Thomas LanFranca.

The wake will be held on Friday, September 25th from 5-8 p.m. at Passantino Bros. Funeral Home, 2117 Independence Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64124. The services will be held on Saturday, September 26th at 10 a.m. at the Funeral Home. During this global pandemic, the family recognizes and understands that many loved ones may not be comfortable attending services in person. For those that choose to attend, the family respectfully asks that masks be worn at both the wake and funeral. The funeral service will be live streamed at www.facebook.com/passantinobros .

Instead of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Boy Scouts of America, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, or the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Condolences may be offered at www.passantinobros.com