Dudley Latham

Dudley Eugene "Del" Latham III died at Stormont Vail hospital April 1, 2017, following complications from a heart attack last fall. He was 73.

Mr. Latham was born on September 28, 1943, on Long Island, New York, to his parents Dudley Eugene, Jr. and Virginia Latham, nee Jarman.

He graduated from CW Post College, Long Island, with a degree in pre-medicine. Some years later he was awarded a master's degree in Family Studies from Kansas State University.

He married Kathleen Boylson in New York in 1966, where he sold pharmaceuticals and she worked as a nurse and Lamaze instructor.

Within a year of marriage, they moved to Chicago where Del transitioned to medical tape and label sales. Shortly thereafter, they moved to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he sold for Permacel Tape Co.

In 1976 Del started his own business - Roll Products, Inc. - in his garage. Within months, he rented a small shop and employed several local members of St. Therese's Catholic Church, which he and Kathleen founded and which still functions as a thriving chapel of the Society of St. Pius X.

Always involved heavily in the lives of his children, they also founded a small private Catholic school, the Academy of St. Therese, to fill a gap which he and Kathleen saw in their local educational community.

In 1986, he moved his family and later his business to St. Marys, Kansas, where he lived until his death.

Residents of St. Marys will remember his eager involvement in St. Marys Academy through his love of the athletics programs and music, and his varied contributions to the broader St. Marys community in the forms of the Chamber of Commerce, EMS Department, Police Department, Fireworks, Arts in the Park, Community Band, and more.

He retired from these activities some ten years before his death, spending his time pursuing his hobbies at his home and managing care for his wife.

He will be remembered by his family and friends as someone who always looked for a way to serve others. His generosity was boundless, and he understood that the good fortune God had granted to him was meant to be shared widely with others. He sought out families in need and gave generously to help them through times of difficulty.

Del tirelessly worked for his family, not only in his business and in the school he founded, but also through his attendance at every possible sporting event, recital, show, and contest in which his seven children participated.

Del is survived by his wife, Kathleen; his brother, Larry of Madison, WI; his children Elizabeth (Joe), Cliff (Monica), Greg (Jennifer), Tom (Anne Marie), Mark (Alicia), John (Kristina), and Andrew (Alison), as well as 33 grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Dudley Euguene, Jr and Virginia, and his Stepfather, William Brodhagen.

Requiem Mass will be at 7:00 A.M. Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at Assumption Chapel. Interment will be in Our Lady Of Peace Cemetery, St. Marys, Kansas. A Rosary will be recited at 5:20 P.M. Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at the church. Memorials may be made in his name and sent to Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple, St. Marys, KS. 66536.