Family raises money to bury Navy veteran killed in KC-area home explosion
A grandfather and Navy veteran killed in a Gladstone home explosion Saturday is being remembered by his family, who have started a GoFundMe to help pay for his funeral expenses.
Firefighters responded just after 11 a.m. to Northeast 74th Terrace and North Main Street Saturday after receiving multiple calls from residents about the explosion, which family has confirmed killed Richard Adams and his two dogs, Zeus and Roy.
Richard Adams’ granddaughter, Zanaya Hale, described Adams in the fundraising post as a loving, caring and selfless person.
“He served countless years in the Navy for our protection and our country with endless love and bravery,” she said in the GoFundMe.
Hale and her family are hoping to raise enough funds to give Adams and his dogs proper burials and funeral services.
Officials used cadaver dogs to uncover Adams’ remains. They have not yet publicly identified him, but neighbors and family have confirmed the victim to be Adams.
In a release sent Monday by the City of Gladstone, preliminary findings suggest the explosion may have involved combustible materials stored at the home. Battalion Chief Mike Desaultels told The Star it was likely fireworks material, and that state fire marshals continue to investigate.
Several of Adams’ neighbors recalled the blast as a harrowing situation.
Ashleigh Tomlin was in her kitchen Saturday morning with her family when they all heard a massive bang, which turned out to be her next-door neighbor’s house exploding.
She and her family hit the ground and a ceiling lamp came down, hitting Tomlin on the head and giving her a concussion. They thought a plane had crashed.
“We were just freaking out. I mean, we thought it was an attack,” she said.
Heather Garcia, who lives off Northeast 74th Terrace, was still in bed when she heard the loud boom and felt her house shake. She ran outside in search of her husband, Carlos Garcia, whom she knew was outside mowing.
“I came running outside, I don’t have any shoes on. I honestly thought maybe a tree had fallen on my house. I came outside and I started screaming for him,” she said.
As of Tuesday morning, the family has raised about $1,000 of their $5,000 goal. The investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 12:09 PM.
