‘A tragic loss’: Jackson County sheriff’s deputy Marcus Champion dies. He was only 34
As a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy, Marcus Champion dealt with the most dire of situations. Yet he never let the work bring him down, his friends say.
Now they are shocked by the sudden death of someone so beloved and respected. Champion, 34, died Dec. 14 due to medical issues — natural causes, his friends say, and not in the line of duty.
“I will miss that warmth. He was that one guy that has that smile you see in the morning when you come into the building,” says Walter McDonald, a friend and colleague since Champion started at the sheriff’s office in April. “Just realizing that you will never see that smile again. You won’t have that person to talk to again or laugh or joke with.”
McDonald, 48, built a strong bond with the younger sheriff’s deputy. As a 20-year veteran in law enforcement, McDonald is saddened that a dear friend will no longer be there to brighten up the lives of those he came in contact with at work or in their personal lives.
“He would always be sitting in his chair spinning with his hands stuck in his vest,” says McDonald. “You come in now, and his chair is empty.”
The Hickman Mills High School graduate loved working in law enforcement. Before joining the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Champion worked for the police departments in Nevada, Missouri, and Excelsior Springs, making many contacts and friends.
For friends like McDonald, it was only natural that people gravitated to the Excelsior Springs resident due to his easy way of being able to talk to anyone and even put them in a better mood after a rough day.
“He was always calm, cool and collected. He had a way of being able to talk to people and always get them to come down to his level. He was just a good guy who really loved kids, loved his family,” says McDonald.
Seeing the impact of Champion’s death on the department shows the reach of the young deputy’s life, says colleague Edward Johnson.
“It is tough. It has been a tragic loss, but it has brought us together as a whole. We are all getting involved and paying our respect to him with honor,” says Johnson. “Making sure we are there for his family.”
In his free time, Champion loved traveling and being on the move. He taught himself not only to ride motorcycles but also took lessons to fly aircraft.
Many friends, current and former colleagues, and old classmates took to social media to tell of the massive loss.
“Another harsh reminder of just how short and fragile life is. The world lost a genuinely good dude today who left an impact on so many others. I hope you rest easy, Champion. “
“RIH Marcus Champion, it was a pleasure working with you and seeing your Big smile every day when we would walk into the building. “
“The world lost a beautiful soul today. I’ve never met a sweeter, more caring, and more gentle human being than you buddy.”
“Marcus is the kind of person that would give the shirt off of his back to somebody.”
“My heart truly goes out to the staff at Excelsior Hospital, ESFD, ESPD, and the family of Marcus Champion. The world lost a good man today.”
“What can be said, you were a great guy, and I was glad to have called you friend. Rest easy Champ!”
The 34-year-old Johnson has seen with Champion’s passing the importance of really taking account of how we have no idea when we will never speak to someone again.
“He was a kind soul who definitely will be missed,” says Johnson. “He was a person you could easily talk to with a sense of humor that was out of this world. Sometimes I would just sit back and let him talk because he was a wealth of wisdom.”
Champion is survived by his mother, Sandra Champion Jones, father, Tyrone A. Jones, and brother Tyrone A. Champion-Jones, along with a host of other relatives and friends.
Other remembrances
Henry Hardy Jr.
Henry Hardy Jr., deacon, and technician, died Dec. 7. He was 87.
Hardy was born May 12, 1935, to parents Henry and Beulah Hardy in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Growing up in a rural environment, Hardy spent much of his early life working on farms in his home state and in Arkansas, where he would become the first Black combine operator in the state.
He moved to Kansas City, Kansas, in 1968 as a technician with Armour Amusement, repairing electronic games, jukeboxes and other attractions for the next 43 years until his retirement.
He married Donna Rose in 1985, and the couple would spend the next 35 years together.
They were both involved with the church throughout their lives, and he served as a deacon and church trustee for Temple Missionary Baptist Church.
He will be remembered by his family as a firmly determined man but also a loving and caring family man.
He is survived by his wife, Donna Rose; sister Cora Lee Diggs; daughters Linda Hardy, Doris Moore, Jema Hill-Cook, Felicia Johnson, Margaret Jones and Deniece Sykes; son Mark Richardson; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren relatives, loved ones and friends.
Darlene Collier
Darlene Collier, mother and civil rights crusader, died Dec. 7. She was 81.
Collier was born Sept. 19, 1941, in Kansas City to Leroy and Nadine Tombs. She was the oldest of her parents’ five children. Growing up in a Navy family, Collier would see her family move around the county from Connecticut to California before eventually ending up back in the Midwest.
Collier graduated from Bonner Springs High School in 1959, and later attended the University of Kansas. Growing up in tough times of racial unease made Collier interested in issues of racial equity. She became active in the civil rights movement in both Bonner Springs and Kansas City. Collier joined the NAACP and fought for the desegregation of the Kansas Board of Education.
While working at Kansas City Urban Renewal, she met Jimmie Collier, the man who would become her husband. The pair had one son. She spent the remainder of her career working with AT&T and Sprint in career services.
She is survived by her son, Justin; siblings Wanda Ford, Leroy Tombs Jr., Madlyn Tombs, Phillip Tombs; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
This story was originally published December 25, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
