Obituaries

Shannon S. Crane, 62, of Hutchinson, died July 1, 2024. She was born August 14, 1961, in Gardner, KS to Robert and Carol (Conboy) Crane. 

Shannon was native to Hutchinson and graduated from Hutchinson High School. She received honors when graduating from Hutchinson Community College and the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History. Shannon worked tirelessly and received her Juris Doctorate with Honors from Washburn School of Law, Topeka. She began her career in private practice, then worked for the Appellate Defender’s office in Topeka. Shannon moved back to Hutchinson in 1990, and worked for Kansas Legal Services for 19 years. In 2009, she opened Hutchinson Legal Clinic which is now Crane Law since 2014. 

Shannon was a lover of all things KU and Chiefs football. She loved all her animals, especially her dogs. Shannon had great interest in genealogy and a passion for people. She was community minded and enjoyed volunteering at places such as the Reno County Food Bank and United Way. 

Shannon is survived by: son, Thad (Malia) Crane, Alpharetta, GA; grandchildren, Miller, Dylan, and Kendall Crane, all of Alpharetta, GA; brother, Kevin Crane, Wichita; sister, Stephanie Crane, Hutchinson; ex-wife, friend, and colleague, Barbara Scholes, Hutchinson (her children Brett Scholes, Hutchinson and Taylor Scholes, Overland Park); nieces, Anna Crane, Wichita and Mandy Smith, Lindsborg; and nephew, Brett Crane, Orlando, FL. 

She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Kimberly Crane. 

Cremation has taken place. Celebration of Life details will be shared by the family.

Friends may sign her book from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at Elliott Mortuary. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Hutchinson Animal Shelter, in care of Elliott Mortuary and Crematory, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Link to obituary: https://ksbar.org/?pg=Obituaries&blAction=addEntry

Jerry Winston Hannah, died December 8, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was born Dec. 12, 1929, in Augusta, Ks., the first child of Mark A. Hannah and Harriet Osburn Hannah Schmidt. A younger brother is Dan M. Hannah of Lyons, Ks.

Jerry attended the Lyons, Ks, school system. He later graduated from the University of Kansas undergraduate and law schools. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and Phi Delta Phi law fraternity. He later served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. With his law degree, he practiced law in Gt. Bend, Ks and Topeka, Ks, where he served as Asst. U.S. Attorney and then as U.S. Magistrate. His law included a litigation practice of personal injury, product liability and condemnation. He was admitted to practice in Kansas, Colorado and the Federal Courts and U.S. Supreme Court.

Jerry married Sharon Fitzpatrick (now deceased) in 1952, and two children were born: Kathleen Hannah Waugh (Marc) and Jerry Hannah, deceased (Diana) Surviving are five grandchildren: Erin Waugh Allen (Chad); Chris Waugh (Shantel); Megan Waugh Bloem (Jordan); Ashley Hannah Murphy (James); and Elizabeth Shanholtzer (Michael). Eleven great-grandchildren: Simon, Archie & Felix Bloem; Finn & Lana Waugh; Logan Velasquez; Harper & Hadley Shanholtzer; and Austin, Anthony & Aleighna Murphy.

Jerry lived and worked in Topeka, Ks., Vail and Colorado Springs, Colo. He passed peacefully, just four days shy of his 95th birthday. Jerry’s extended family will gather for a Memorial Service in the summer of 2025. We will spread his ashes up in the mountains per his express wishes.

Link to obituary: https://www.cjonline.com/obituaries/phut1030238

Charles J. “Chuck” Woodin passed away peacefully surrounded by family on September 26, 2024 at age 90. He was born on January 18, 1934, in Wichita, Kansas and was a proud resident of that city his entire life, except the years spent pursuing higher education. Chuck attended Wichita public schools and graduated from Wichita East High School. He attended Yale University, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering, then went on to the University of Kansas School of Law, graduating with distinction, Order of the Coif and Editor-in-Chief – Kansas Law Review. After law school he returned to Wichita and practiced with Foulston Siefkin LLP for over sixty years, where he was a managing partner and remained of counsel until his death. 

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents J.C. Woodin and Bess Woodin, his brother Bill Woodin and sister Marjorie Patrick Arnold. He is survived by his wife Sandra Woodin, brother-in-law Dean Dietz, children Susan Olson (Evan), Shelly Gillum (Todd Seymour), Stacy Woodin and Shelly Riedel, as well as five grandchildren (Eliot Olson, Katie Lee, Grace Casey, Nicky Shaw and Shelby Gillum), eight great-grandchildren (Raegan and Cooper Shaw, Austin Rudkin, Brynlee Chrisman, Sydney and Joey Lee, Zion and Addie Casey), and many cousins, nieces and nephews. 

Among other work for clients of Foulston Siefkin, Chuck handled the full spectrum of legal matters relating to oil, gas and minerals in the areas of purchase and sales, exploration, production, marketing, transportation, financing and regulation. His clients ranged from individual land and mineral owners to independent oil and gas operators, both large and small, to some of the world’s largest major integrated oil and gas companies. Chuck held Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory’s highest “AV” rating for lawyers and was selected by his peers for inclusion in the Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers® list and The Best Lawyers in America©. He was recognized by Best Lawyers® as the 2011 Wichita Energy “Lawyer of the Year,” the 2012 Wichita Natural Resources “Lawyer of the Year,” the 2013 Wichita Mining Law “Lawyer of the Year,” and the 2022 Wichita Energy Law "Lawyer of the Year." His peer memberships include the Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association and the American Society of Corporate Secretaries.

But more than the law, Chuck held many other interests and talents. He was classically trained in piano and could also play by ear to entertain family and friends. With his engineering training, he could build or fix anything and was always working on some project at home or for others. Susan and Shelly were swimmers growing up and Chuck was an active swim team Dad, organizing and traveling with family to swim meets all over the country. Family trips to ski slopes or warm waters with children and grandchildren were always the highlight of any year. The Downtown YMCA was an important part of his regular daily schedule, where he played basketball, ran or worked out over his lunch hour. 

In mid-life, Chuck developed a passion for sailing. Most weekends would find Chuck and Sandy sailing out of South Bay Yacht Club or Ninnescah Yacht Club on Cheney Lake with as many as the boat would hold, humming the tunes of Jimmy Buffet. As the boats grew larger, the number of crew grew as well. Eventually, his skill enabled him to captain proper ocean-going vessels in the British Virgin Islands, which was Chuck and Sandy’s favorite place to sail. The stories are legend, but captain and crew always returned safely to home port.

The family will receive guests at Noon on Thursday October 3rd at the Cozine Life Events Center, 11500 E. 21st St. North, Wichita, KS 67206. A memorial service will follow at 1:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established with the American Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas, 707 N. Main, Wichita, KS 67203.

Link to obituary: https://www.cozine.com/obituaries/charles-woodin

Larry G. Rapp, 70, husband, father, grandfather, and friend was called home on Wednesday, December 25, 2024 after a long battle with cancer. Larry was born September 4, 1954, to BJ and Marilyn Rapp and grew up in rural Wyandotte County, Kansas. Larry is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his beloved wife Dianne (Aley) Rapp, his two sons, and his brother, Eric (Callene) Rapp (KS). A Celebration of Life service will be at a later date.

Larry received a BA from Washburn University in 1976 and a law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1979. Larry fell in love with Dianne Aley (of Chesterfield, New Jersey) early in their freshman year at Washburn. They were married May 15, 1974. Larry and Dianne raised their sons in and around Wichita and enjoyed and supported each other’s decades-long careers in law and music education.

Larry found great pleasure from being a father. Family projects, trips, and supporting the boys in their interests and activities provided Larry a joy that he savored long after they were grown. He enjoyed watching the boys establish their own families and could never get enough play time with his grandchildren.

Larry began his career with Foulston-Siefkin in 1979 and continued with the firm until his final retirement in 2023. His practice was in the areas of general business and business transaction law. Larry treasured his friendships and the opportunity to work with his Foulston-Siefkin colleagues and the firm’s clients. Many of his client relationships lasted decades. With the support of his partners, Larry provided pro bono legal services and board support for several Wichita charities, including Wichita Habitat for Humanity and Wichita Grand Opera, in recent years. Larry enjoyed being a “Big” for Big Brothers/Big Sisters “Bigs in Schools” program, and highly recommended the program.

Larry was a wannabe cowboy at heart. For over twenty years Larry’s family (and his Foulston-Siefkin partners) humored him while the family lived on a small farm in the country with horses and cattle. Larry was most happy keeping company with the dogs, mowing pasture, feeding and working cattle, midwifing other “livestock” with a neighbor, and raising an overly ambitious garden. Larry’s family dubbed him the “cow whisperer” for his way of quietly working with his small cow-calf herd. Other interests included sailing, woodworking, and reading non-law books.

Larry’s faith was precious to him and sustained him in his life with cancer. His church families were sources of deep friendships, true joy, and great peace and comfort.

The family would like to thank their friends, church families, and the doctors, nurses, and caregivers who took excellent care of Larry at the Cancer Center of Kansas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, and Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice.

Link to online obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/wichita-ks/larry-rapp-12142420

H. Philip Elwood of Topeka, Kansas, 78, passed away on December 24, 2024 due to advanced dementia. He departed peacefully in the presence of loving family.

Harold Philip "Phil" Elwood was born on June 22, 1946, in Wichita, Kansas, to Harold Campbell and Mary Elizabeth (Iserman) Elwood. His parents instilled in him the importance of community service and shared their love of aviation, music, and history; values that would guide his personal and professional life.

Phil and his two younger brothers, Fred and Paul, were raised in Wichita, where he attended Wichita Southeast High School. Upon graduation from Wichita State University in 1968, Phil and his wife Darlene Jo (Werner) Elwood spent a short time in Virginia while attending Officer Candidate School before settling in Topeka. While serving in the Kansas Army National Guard 69th Infantry Brigade, he earned his Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law in 1971. Phil joined Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer, L.L.P. and later served as managing partner from 1993 to 2007. He retired in 2018. In a surprising connection to family history, his office on Kansas Avenue was adjacent to where his grandfather, Dr. Fred E. Iserman, had practiced dentistry for 57 years.

His legal career focused on business organization and reorganization for both for-profit and non-profit entities. His expertise included securities regulation, tax planning, estate planning, and healthcare law. Among his notable achievements was managing a transaction that involved the merger of 415 corporations across 34 states. He served on the Board of Governors for the Washburn University School of Law. He was a member of the American, Kansas and Topeka Bar Associations, and the Kansas Association of Hospital Attorneys. He was listed in Best Lawyers in America beginning in 1984 and joined the American Health Lawyers Association in 1997.

Phil's commitment to community service was exemplified through his numerous leadership roles. He served as President of the Topeka Bar Association, receiving their Warren W. Shaw Distinguished Service Award in 2017. He was president of the Downtown Topeka Rotary Club (2002-2003), maintaining an active membership for over 25 years. At Grace Episcopal Cathedral, he served as Senior Warden of the Vestry, Chairman of the Finance Committee, and Chancellor. He also served as Director and Chairman of the Finance Committee for the United Way of Greater Topeka, and held the role of President with the Topeka Lawyers Club, the Topeka Civitan Club, the Topeka Legal Aid Society, the Channel Eleven Club, Inc., the Jayhawk Area Council Board and The Topeka Performing Arts Center.

Following in his father's footsteps (who worked as a production manager for Boeing's B-29 Bombers during World War II and in advertising for Cessna) Phil developed a deep passion for aviation and military history. He was particularly fascinated by the Civil War and World War I and II. After obtaining his private pilot's license in the 1980s, he would occasionally fly to different parts of the state while representing the Kansas Dental Board and various hospitals. Later, with friends Ken Godfrey and John Nightengale, he acquired and restored a Ryan PT-22 World War II military training aircraft.

Phil’s other interests included antique vehicles, particularly MGs. He was an active member of the Topeka T's since the early 1970s and meticulously restored a 1951 MG TD with the assistance of his young daughter Denise who was little enough to tighten hardware in the smallest spaces of the car. At age 63, he fulfilled a childhood dream by embarking on a working cruise aboard the tall ship Europa from Charleston to Boston Harbor with longtime friend Tom Beatty.

Phil was an avid music enthusiast, particularly enjoying The Beatles, Grateful Dead, and Pink Floyd. He cherished family vacations at Glen Isle Resort in Bailey, Colorado, a tradition that began with his mother's family in the 1920s. These vacations allowed for remote escapes with mountain hikes and steam train adventures. He was a caring father and loving husband who enjoyed reading, sharing his passion for history and his appreciation of music with his family.

He was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 56 years, Darlene. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Denise and J.P. Walsh of Rhode Island; granddaughters Emma and Molly Walsh; brother Fred Elwood and wife Alice of Buhl, Idaho, and brother Paul Elwood and wife Régine of Marseille, France.

A memorial service will be held in Topeka at a future date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Topeka Rotary Foundation, Topeka Performing Arts Center, the Kansas Children’s Service League Foundation, or a charity of choice. The family welcomes you to share memories of Phil and Darlene Elwood, by emailing Denise at hpelwood@gmail.com. The Elwoods cherished their professional and personal friendships and were so proud to call Topeka home.

Link to online obituary: https://www.cjonline.com/obituaries/phut1077576