Rynard Kyle Ellis, 69, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away peacefully June 4, 2026, after battling lung cancer since last fall. To celebrate Kyle, the family will host a party to commemorate Kyle’s impact on the world. We all know how much he loved to throw a huge party, and boy was he the life of it.
Kyle was born September 24, 1956, in Kansas City, Missouri to (Mary) Janette Bruns and (Robert) Keith Ellis. Raised in Kansas City, Kansas, dancing in the streets and playing the violin for tips as a kid, Kyle moved back to Windsor, Missouri, during high school. Kyle excelled as a Greyhound, playing football and basketball, running track, and graduating from Windsor High School in 1974. He was also a member of the Future Farmers of America.
Although his dad wanted him to go straight to work for the railroad, Kyle got a track scholarship and attended Central Missouri State University (“CMSU”) where he achieved a bachelor’s degree in safety and psychology while focusing on his athletic pursuits. During his time at CMSU, Kyle was a two-time All-American in the steeple chase and was the first CMSU athlete to participate in international competition in Mexico City, where he placed second. He spoke fondly of his days running with the greats of his time. The CMSU team reportedly logged over 25,000 miles in the 1976 track season, and Kyle was individually a member of the 10,000-mile club. He continued an active lifestyle – running, dancing, and riding bikes – only slowing down after he broke his leg in 2015, but continuing golfing throughout his life. Kyle’s athletic accomplishments were honored at Homecoming 2024 when he was inducted into the Windsor High School Hall of Fame with his family cheering him on.
After college, Kyle began working on the railroad, ultimately spending 46 years as an engineer for Missouri Pacific and Amtrak. He married his high school sweetheart, Donita Kay Brooks, in March 1979 and they started a family. Kyle embodied the philosophy work hard, play hard. His true passion was making friends and ensuring everyone was having a great time. He also started a real estate investing company in the 2000s and was a generous landlord. As the most senior passenger rail engineer out of Kansas City, Kyle was selected to provide training to the engineers of the trans-continental Panama Canal Railway Co. when it was rebuilt in early 2000 to improve the crucial link in the global shipping network and reduce the backlog on the Panama Canal. Kyle’s work assisted with the Panama Canal Railway’s transition from freight-only service back to including passenger service. He was a smooth operator both on- and off-the-tracks. Kyle continued the family farming legacy most of his adult life, finally selling the farm to fund all his retirement adventures when he retired from the railroad in 2024. Married to a second Brooks girl (though of a different family) in Las Vegas on Friday, September 13, 2013, he and Lisa Renee Brooks, took many fun trips and cruises, living their years together to the fullest, surrounded by friends and spoiling grandkids with gifts and fun experiences.
Kyle was preceded in death by his grandparents and father. He is survived by his mother, Janette Pace, of Greenridge, MO, his brother, (Robert) Kevin Ellis, his loving saint of a wife, Lisa Brooks Ellis, his three children (with his former wife of 28 years, Donita Kay Crow) and their spouses: Ryan Kelly Ellis of Chicago, Illinois (Lynn; daughter Violet Ann); Kristen Michelle Ellis Johnson of Kansas City, Missouri (Andrew; sons, Annen Isaac and Ori Benjamin; daughter, Ellery Pearl); and Kayla Dawn Kline of Missouri Valley, Iowa (Nyle, and daughters Katara Mae, Kora Lana, Kaya Calypso, plus one on the way). Kyle is also survived by many nieces and nephews as well as great- nieces and nephews. Kyle’s many friends were like family to him. His cats, Elvis and Shasta, miss him greatly, too.
The family will hold a party in his honor on June 28 at Dos de Oros at 13029 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri, from 1-4 pm, where everyone will be invited to reminisce on Kyle’s shenanigans, generosity, and larger than life personality.
The family has asked for no flowers or plants, but asks you to continue his legacy of generosity by making a donation to your favorite charity in Kyle’s honor.