John Wray Conner

John Wray Conner, 90, of Springfield, MO, died July 27th, 2024.

Visitation will be from 5-6:00 PM, Friday, August 2, 2024 at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home. Services will be at 11:00 AM, Saturday, August 3rd, 2024, at Arden Road Baptist Church, 6701 Arden Rd., Amarillo, TX. The burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Visitation Services and Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd., Amarillo, TX.  

Mr. Conner was born May 12, 1934, in the family's 2-room home in Quitaque, TX, the son of Claud Eugene Conner and Doris Opal (Castleberry) Conner. The family moved from Quitaque to Amarillo in 1942, and John graduated from Amarillo High School in 1951. He attended night-classes at West Texas State College in Canyon, TX, and at Washburn University in Topeka, KS.

 Mr. Conner married Jeanette Wegner on May 21, 1954, on her family's farm home near Twitty/Kelton in Wheeler County, TX, with their first home together being in Amarillo. John and Jeanette were married 70 years.

John accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and was Baptized in the Sandia Baptist Church in Albuquerque on April 2, 1967. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Arden Road Baptist Church in Amarillo.

 On September 24, 1951, Mr. Conner commenced employment with Santa Fe Railway in Amarillo, spending almost 38 years before retiring on August 1, 1989, in Topeka. At the time of his retirement, he held the position of Director - Compliance Examinations for the Railroad. John had served Santa Fe/BNSF in various capacities in the Accounting Department and in the Auditor Department, in Amarillo, TX, Albuquerque, NM, Chicago, IL, and Topeka, KS.

 Mr. Conner completed required studies at the Santa Fe sponsored Institute of Business Economics (IBE) at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, CA on July 27, 1973.

 John was a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (a Worldwide professional organization) commencing in 1970 and was awarded the professional designation of Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) in 1973. He served on the Board of Governors of the Chicago, IL Chapter (with a membership of about 800), and also served as the President of that Chapter during 1980-1981.

 Commencing in 1973, Mr. Conner represented Santa Fe as a member of the Board of Governors of the Auditing Division of the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

 Mr. Conner served in the U.S. Navy 1956 - 1958 at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego, CA, and then on board the U.S.S. Hooper Island (ARG-17) in the Pacific Fleet. In addition to this aforementioned period of time, John also served 4 ½ years in the "Active" Naval Reserves, as well as 1 ½ years in the "Inactive" Naval Reserves.

 Preceding Mr. Conner in death was his wife, Odessa Jeanette Conner on June 10, 2024 in Springfield, MO; his two daughters, Linda Kay (Conner) (Landry) (Burchett) Blevins on December 14, 2016 in Branson, MO, and Brenda Sue (Conner) Phillabaum on July 26, 2017 in Russell, KY; his granddaughter Tara Jeanette (Landry) Bennett on May 7, 2011 in Independence, MO; his father on November 8, 1995 in Amarillo, TX, his mother on November 17, 1997 in Amarillo, his sister Peggy Jean (Conner) Prien on August 26, 2013 in Round Rock, TX, and his brother-in-law Ronny Edward Prien on January 2, 2017 in Georgetown, TX.

 Survivors include his four grandchildren, Michael Keith Phillabaum Jr. of Grayson, KY, Eli Earle Landry of Shawnee, OK, Kelsey Wray Burchett of Kansas City, KS, and Zacharias Conner Landry of Springfield, MO; five great-grandsons, Dane Cevin Clayton of Topeka, KS, Michael “Trey” Phillabaum 3rd and James Asher Phillabaum, both of Grayson, KY, Conner Fitzwilliam Landry and Caden Cooper Landry, both of Shawnee, OK; his cousin Ronnie Duane Conner of Calgary, Canada; his cousin Frank Weldon Conner and his wife JudyMay (Snow) Conner of Katy, TX.