Kevin William Opat
May 6, 1962 ~ December 29, 2021
Kevin William Opat, 59, of Kechi, joined his Lord and Savior in Heaven on Dec. 29, 2021. Kevin was born May 6, 1962, in Lindsborg, KS, to the late Leo and Donna (Burough) Opat. The eighth of nine children, Kevin’s family was the center of his life.
Kevin was a graduate of Lindsborg High School. He attended Wichita State University before beginning his lifelong sales career. Kevin was known as a hard worker, even meeting the love of his life and wife of 34 years, Kimberly “Kim” Opat, at work; Kim and Kevin worked together at the TG&Y he managed at the time. The couple married in Wichita on Oct. 10, 1987.
Throughout his furniture and flooring sales career, Kevin’s focus was always on the customer. He had a distinctive sense of humor and loved giving nicknames to friends and family. He was always quick to share pictures of his children, and later, his grandchildren. Kevin was also a devoted member of his community, serving on the Kechi City Council for 25 years. The accomplishment he was most proud of was the city’s park, for which he actively advocated.
Kevin was above all else a family man. He was proud of his Polish heritage and instilled his pride and work ethic into his children. Kevin was also a devoted Catholic and spent many years serving as an usher and head usher at the Catholic Church of the Resurrection in Bel Aire, KS.
Survivors include his wife, Kim Opat of Kechi, KS; daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Danny Seymour of Ponca City, OK; son and daughter-in-law, William and Kelsi Opat of Springfield, MO; son and daughter-in-law, Patrick “Pat” Opat and Wendy Winkley of Wichita, KS; “adopted” daughter, Sydney O’Donnell of Wichita, KS; grandchildren, Elizabeth and Evalynn Seymour of Ponca City, OK and Leo Opat of Springfield, MO; and his cherished siblings, Kathy Hawkinson, Cecilia Opat, Kenneth Opat, Chris Opat, Martha Nickel, and Kerrick Opat. In addition to his immediate family, Kevin leaves behind numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.
Kevin is preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Connie Davidson and Cindy George.
Celebration of Life to be held at Downing & Lahey East Mortuary on Sat., Jan. 8 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. The funeral service will be live streamed and available to view at www.dlwichita.com The family asks that masks be worn for the service. A private burial will follow.
A memorial has been established with the Kechi Park Renovation Plan. Donations may be made out to Patrick Opat, P.O. Box 367, Kechi, KS 67067.
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I couldn’t believe it when I heard of Kevin’s passing. He was such a wonderful guy – he was funny, thoughtful, considerate and caring. I will always remember how very special he was. Pat’s family will remain in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, but please remember, he will always be with us in our hearts. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻
Kevin was always a kind, joyful neighbor and friend. Our family loved being next door and having the chance to visit with Kevin. He always had interesting things so talk about and took such care to include our boys in conversations. Kevin called them “Fred, Barney, and Bam Bam”. When we told the boys that Kevin had passed Owen said “Mom who will call us Fred and Barney now?” They loved how Kevin made jokes about things and watched them play. The boys said “I know I will see Kevin in heaven.” The world seems less safe and kind without Kevin, a wonderful father, friend and neighbor. So much love to your whole family. The Hatches
The Alessi Family extends our thoughts and prayers to Kim, Sarah, William, & Patrick due to the untimely passing of Kevin. Our families shared many happy memories in the late 1990’s with church, school, and sports. We will always cherish those times together and the fun we had.
The entire Jabara family would like to extend its heartfelt condolences to all of Kevin’s family and friends. Kevin was always a stand up guy and I was proud to have the working relationship with him these last 15 years. Whether it was bringing in a new product to see or walking the golf course at Tingle’s yearly tournament, Kevin was always a constant in our store and in our business. He was just a great guy. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kevin’s entire family. May he Rest In Peace.
So shocked and saddened to learn about Kevin’s death. He gave so much to Kechi for years. He will be greatly missed. Our condolences to his family. Margaret and Jack McCormick
I am so very sorry to hear that Kevin passed away. He and I have known each other for many years through work. He called on our company. While doing that we shared many conversations of God and all the miracles He performs for us. He will be greatly missed. Please know you had an amazing and wonderful husband, son and brother. God Bless, LeAnn McGranahan
I would like to say Kevin Opat was a great man who dedicated his life to his family, his job, and his community. Kevin was a friend to all and an enemy to none. I had the pleasure of working with Kevin for over 25 years. Kevin always picked me up and dropped me off at the Wichita Airport with a smile on his face and the comment “What’s Up Vinny?” Kevin was dedicated to being the best sales rep he could be, and he certainly was a legend in the state of Kansas. He will be sorely missed by all who had the treasure of crossing paths with him. God Bless Kevin Opat, the Opat Family, the Tingle Family, and all his friends. Vince DeBlaze/ex Armstrong Rep St. Charles, MO
I’m a friend of Chris Opat which is a sister. You will be so very missed by her. She so loved you Kevin! I will be here to lift her up in Her sadness. I’m sure she will share lots of stories about you with me when she is ready. God Bless the people you left be hind. I will remind her that your in a Glorious place filled with happiness. ♥️
A few stories about Kevin: I’ve worked with Kevin for 20 years, half of which as his boss. Besides being an incredibly hard worker, Kevin loved to make quick decisions about his Sales Territory, then “Ask for forgiveness later”. (His famous line!!) He did this a lot. Though it drove me nuts, he always did the right thing and I could trust he always would. Like a kid in a candy store, Kevin always shined bright at our large selling events. A few group photos are posted. It was his comfort zone. As mentioned in his obituary, Kevin had a nickname for everyone. It was his thing. It added to his jovial nature. Everyone, except for me apparently?! I’ve asked him repeatedly over the last 20 years. “Kevin, what’s my nickname?” He always said with a straight face, I haven’t come up with one yet. He was either keeping that information extremely close vested, or he really hadn’t. Either way, I’ll always smile and wonder…. Kevin is hard to talk about because it hurts that he’s gone. He was a co-worker, but more importantly, my friend. We will miss you. Kevin, you are truly everyone’s loss.
i am sorry that he passed away.
I am so saddened to hear of Kevin’s passing. He was our Tingle rep and there’s no rep I enjoyed working with more than him! Always happy, helpful, and fun to visit with. We will miss him so much! Much love and many prayers for his friends and family.
I really enjoyed working with Kevin. I first met him at Star Lumber in Hutch and then got to keep working with him when I went to work for Rob “Appleseed” at CarpetsPlus. It was always a fun day when he came into the store. No matter what he may have been dealing with, he was upbeat and always had a story to tell. I will definitely miss his friendship and also his product knowledge. Heaven has an awesome new angel. Gale Miller, Hutchinson KS