Hugh Francis McNamara, Jr., age 88, died peacefully on April 9, 2026, surrounded by family after a brief illness. Hugh was born on June 24, 1937, in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the third child of eight born to Mary Teresa (Brennan) McNamara and Hugh Francis McNamara, Sr. Hugh attended Lillis High School where he was an all-star basketball player. Hugh’s father died when Hugh was 16 years old and Hugh went to work at AT&T to help support the family. Hugh worked at AT&T for thirty-five years, earning early retirement at age 52. He also sold bricks from the West Bottoms brickyard on nights and weekends.

Hugh met the love of his life, JoAnn Peck, on a blind date. He married JoAnn in 1961 and had four daughters and later adopted a son. Hugh and JoAnn started and operated the Classic Cookie from 1981 until they sold it in 1998. While at the Cookie Store, Hugh was the chief delivery man and cleaned the entire store with a toothbrush. It was spotless.

In retirement, Hugh was very active with Uplift, an organization that feeds the homeless. Hugh drove the van every Wednesday night for 11 years. He knew the people that he served and many had his cell number and they knew if they called, Hugh would help them. He and his buddy, Bill Berg, also “worked” at Catholic Charities. As Hugh said, the pay wasn’t good (they were volunteers) but it gave Bill and Hugh something to do together, using their talents to do home repairs for those in need and manual labor no one else wanted to do.

Hugh was not a showy man but rather was a quiet man with a dry sense of humor. If you were lucky enough to be near him and hear his side comments, he would be your friend forever.

Hugh’s faith was paramount to him. He was a vibrant member of Church of the Nativity, active in the Men of Nativity, the Knights of Columbus, and the “Men of McDonalds”. He enjoyed being with the other men of the parish and grilling burgers while drinking a beer with his friends. He was a daily communicant for many years. Hugh was a beautiful model of how a man of God should live.

Hugh and JoAnn also enjoyed traveling after his retirement. They visited Costa Rica, Guatemala (mission trip), the Holy Land, Canada, and travelled all over Europe. But his favorite place was Ireland, which he visited seven times. When he arrived in Ireland, he said he felt that he was coming home.

Hugh is survived by his wife, JoAnn, and his children, Katie Hausman (Greg), Therese Gengler (Jon), Missy Apel (Rob), and Jill Peters (Tyler), Mike McNamara and fourteen grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He also leaves many nieces and nephews of whom he was quite fond, and his brothers Dave and Bob, and his sister Rita Gromowsky. His family was always important to him. Hugh was predeceased by his parents, Mary Teresa McNamara and Hugh McNamara, Sr., and his siblings, Tom, Margaret (Crimmins), Mike and Jerry. Hugh will be deeply missed and always remembered by those who had the good fortune to know him.

If you would like to donate in Hugh’s memory, we would suggest Uplift Organization, 1516 Prospect Ave, Kansas City, MO 64127.