Horst Alfred Hermann Schumann

Horst Alfred Hermann Schumann, “Bill”, age 80 of Kansas City, MO, passed on December 26, 2023.  Horst was born on July 23, 1943, in Hohen Neuendorf, Germany to Alfred H. Schumann and Arlene (Knopp) Schumann. Horst was born at a difficult time and place in Germany during WWII; during his early childhood they were displaced and lived in an underground bunker with little to no food or clothing, later moving to a UNRRA German refugee camp for greater safety.  Horst and his family found American sponsors, and via ship they immigrated to America, being placed at a ranch in Chapman, Kansas. At this working ranch, he was told that Horst is no name for an American man and was given the nickname of “Bill”.  Bill learned English and graduated from Ruskin High School where he played football, worked at A&P grocery store, and was coined “Budweiser Bill” by his friends.  Shortly after, Bill started his lifelong career at Western Electric/AT&T, where he met the love of his life, Donna S. Ross.  Bill joined and served in the Missouri Army National Guard from 1964 to 1970.  Bill married Donna in 1966 and they started their new life together in Kansas City, MO, where they built their first house. Seven years later they moved to Lake Lotawana, MO where they had three children; Jennifer, Stephanie, and Christopher, and built two lakefront homes.  In his free time, Bill loved working on the houses, yard, cars, boat, and docks - there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do or self-learn.  Bill loved swimming, boating, and lake activities, he also loved vacationing with his family in the Gulf of Florida every summer. In 1996 after retirement, Bill and Donna divorced, yet they remained close friends and were together with the family for all holidays and celebrations. Bill moved in 2000 to Lake Ozark, MO where he bought a lake condo, a Baja Outlaw powerboat "Little Thunder", and lived his best life. At the Lake of the Ozarks is where Bill adopted his best pet friend, Maui, a golden retriever/lab mix.  Bill thoroughly enjoyed it when his three children, three grandchildren, family, and friends visited him at the lake, where he loved entertaining and showing them a good time.  Everyone who knew Bill knew how much he loved Mexican food and margaritas, McDonalds, fruit, and orange and apple juice. Bill will always be remembered for the hilarious things he said in his German accent, for the funny sayings and songs he made up, and for the silly way that he combined English and German words to make you laugh. We will forever miss his voice, our times spent on the water with him, and our annual German Christmas celebrations. 

Bill was preceded in death by his father Alfred H. Schumann, aunt Hildegard C. Knopp, son Christopher M. Schumann, and dog Maui. Bill is survived by his mother Arlene K. Schumann, love of his life Donna (Ross) Schumann, daughter Jennifer A. Schumann Dilks and husband David, daughter Stephanie A. Schumann, and three grandsons Cade Schumann, Reily Dilks, and Braeden Jones. 

The family would like to thank the wonderful doctors and staff at Saint Joseph Medical Center for their compassionate care in his final days.

Graveside services will be at Forest Hill Cemetery, 6901 Troost Avenue, KC, MO on Friday, January 12, 2024, at 1:00 pm.  A celebration of life will immediately follow at (Bill’s favorite) Red Bridge Barrio Mexican Kitchen and Bar, 11118 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131 at 2:30 pm. 

For donations of plants or flowers to the family in memory of Bill Schumann, please send to Forest Hill Cemetery for his graveside service on Friday, January 12th, 2024.