Edward Lawrence “Larry” Winn III, a former Shawnee Mission school board member who was active in a number or civic causes during his life, died earlier this month. He was 79.
Catch up quick: The Leawood native and Shawnee Mission East alum died on Dec. 9 in Overland Park, according to an obituary.
Career and family: Winn, the son of U.S. Congressman Larry Winn, Jr., earned a law degree from the University of Kansas.
- He practiced zoning and real estate law at Bennett Lytle in Prairie Village before becoming a partner at Polsinelli in 1994.
- He later served as a Shawnee Mission school board member from 2002 to 2011, the district confirmed.
Winn’s impact: Winn helped found the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, a nonprofit that still works to this day to connect students in the district to scholarships and leadership opportunities.
- Winn also served as chair of the Johnson County Airport Commission, president of the Heart of America Council of Boy Scouts, president of Phi Kappa Psi House Endowment Association and as a board member for Kansas City Public Television.
- He also helped establish an endowment fund for Johnson County Community College.
Key quote: “A tireless advocate for public education, Larry Winn leaves an indelible mark on the students of [Shawnee Mission],” SMEF tweeted on Dec. 19.
This week, @thesmef lost one of our founders. A tireless advocate for public education, Larry Winn leaves an indelible mark on the students of @thesmsd. Please join us in sending our condolences to his family and many friends. He will be greatly missed.https://t.co/bPNc4GA4kU
— Shawnee Mission Education Foundation (@theSMEF) December 19, 2022
Go deeper: Read Larry Winn’s full obituary here.
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