John William "Bill" Fogarty 1928-2004.

Bill Fogarty, long-time editor of Implement & Tractor and a legend in ag equipment journalism, died September 6, 2004 at his home in Leawood, Kansas, ending his 14-month battle with cancer. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1928, and after graduation from Bishop Dowling High School, served US Army duty in Korea. He used the G.I. Bill to attend Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated with a degree in English.

In July, 1954, he married Mary Katherine Ottenstein, of Kansas City. They raised five children and made their home first in Prairie Village and later in Leawood. In his 46-year professional career, Bill wrote for and edited Implement & Tractor for 35 years and later for Farm Equipment magazine. He was recognized by both the farm equipment industry and his trade press peers for overall excellence and commitment to his craft and his commitment to journalistic integrity. He was honored a few years ago by, the Italian Trade Commission for his excellence in journalism.

Bill was intimately and wholly involved with life and those things that he believed made life better for all of us--even when it went against the grain of general thinking or political correctness. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was an active member of the civil rights movement, serving on both the Catholic Interracial Council and the Fair Housing Council in Kansas City. At a time when many of the county's suburbs were almost all white, he welcomed families of color into his neighborhood. He remained committed to social justice and participated actively throughout his life to right those areas he believed unjust.

Another side of Bill was his enthusiasm for jazz. He was a fan of the genre and had an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz musicians, recordings, historical details and trivia. He was active in The Friends of Jazz, the Kansas City Jazz Workshop and the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors. His writing interests extended to reviews and features in Jazz Ambassador Magazine and other jazz publications.

Bill is survived by his wile, Mary, of the home, five children: Barbara, Thomas, Marian, Joseph and Robert, son-in-law, Jim, daughters-in-law, Jennifer and Cheryl, and seven grandchildren: April, Robert, David, John, Sean, Lauren and Liem, and a sister, Margaret Fogarty of Washington, D.C.

Bill's obituary in the Kansas City Star summed him up thusly: "Through his work and avocation, Bill created an enviable network of friends and associates that literally spanned the globe. He could spin a yarn like no one else, and we always listened, even if we'd heard the story a thousand times before--the payoff was that good. His memory and the detail he could provide about things long past were a marvel. Bill's 14-month battle with cancer was a testament to his courage, optimism and desire to survive. His life of good works and faith and his bright smile and quick wit will be remembered forever."

Memorial funds have been set up in Bill's name at the American Cancer Society, 6700 Antioch, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204; Cure' of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Road, Leawood, KS 66206; Kansas City Hospice, 12006 W. 87th St. Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66215: Kansas City Jazz Workshop, P.O. Box 14442, Kansas City, MO 64152.