Stephen Earle Glass

Steve Glass, 79, died peacefully on Monday, July 15, 2024 at Bridge Haven Memory Care in Lawrence, Kansas.  Steve was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in early 2021.  Visitation will be Wednesday, July 17, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at Warren-McElwain Mortuary at 13^th and Massachusetts.  Funeral services will be Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 10:00 am at the First United Methodist Church at 10^th and Vermont in downtown Lawrence with graveside services immediately following at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence.

Stephen Earle Glass was born to Travis Eugene Glass and Jule Bernece (Bell) Glass on December 3, 1944 in Lawrence Kansas.  Steve grew up in Lawrence attending both New York Elementary School and Pinckney Elementary School.  He attended Lawrence High School and played on the football team all through high school.  He graduated from Lawrence High School in 1962.  Steve attended Kansas State College at Pittsburg in the fall of 1962.  In December 1962 Steve turned 18 years old and enlisted in the US Navy to “see the world.”  He served as a petty officer on a supply ship that supported submarines and traveled to various locations including Scotland, Spain, and the Panama Canal.  He spent much of his 3 years stationed on the island of Guam supplying submarines that were doing reconnaissance as the war in Vietnam started to escalate.  Steve’s 3 year enlistment ended in January 1966.

Steve returned home to Lawrence and began working for the concrete company that his father had started, Lawrence Ready Mix.  Steve attended classes at the University of Kansas part time for several years while working, while his father decided to expand the business and started Lawrence Asphalt Company.  It was decided that Steve would run that portion of the business.  As the concrete and asphalt operations grew, it was decided to merge these operations and LRM Industries was created in 1978.  They also expanded their operations into construction which included grading, excavation, and paving.  This portion of the company grew over the years to become a major part of the services provided by LRM Industries.  In 1986, Travis was elected Chair of the Board and Steve became President of LRM Industries, Inc.  The following year, Travis passed away.

Under Steve’s leadership, LRM Industries, Inc. continued to grow.  In the late 1980’s, the asphalt plant in North Lawrence was struggling to meet the demand for asphalt.  A large piece of property was purchased on the east edge of the Lawrence City Limits on the south side of East 23^rd Street (K-10 Highway at that time).  This provided land for the construction of a new asphalt plant and associated operations.  As the company continued to grow, a state-of-the art concrete plant as well as recycling operations for both waste asphalt and waste concrete were constructed on this East 23^rd Street property.

LRM Industries, Inc. had grown to become a successful construction company with over 150 employees.  Steve decided to sell LRM Industries, Inc. in 2009 and began closing down all LRM Industries assets and operations as he moved toward his retirement years.

During all these years, Steve was very involved in the Lawrence community.  Steve was a member of the first Leadership Lawrence Class in 1983 and that experience along with the examples of service provided by his parents provided the desire to serve his community. Over the next years, Steve served on numerous not-for-profit Boards including the Lawrence Arts Center, Ballard Center, Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, Lawrence Schools Foundation, and Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. He also served on the Boards of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation of Lawrence and Douglas County, Douglas County Kaw Drainage District, Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission (1984 to 1990), Horizon 2020 Steering Committee, Douglas County Historical Society, Lawrence Motor Carriers Association, and the North Lawrence Depot Management Board.  Steve also served on the Board and as President of both the Kansas Ready Mix Concrete Association and the Kansas Chapter of the American Concrete Institute.  Steve was a member of the Lawrence Rotary Club since 1983.  In 1997, Steve was elected to the Board of the Douglas County Bank and served until it was sold in 2014.  In 2015, Steve was selected to be recognized by the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame.

In his personal life, Steve married his high school sweetheart Janet Doane in December 1966.  Janet passed away unexpectedly in 1969.  Steve married Beth Bohnet in 1972.  Beth had 3 little girls, Tracy, Jill, and Amy Kocourek.  Steve was a kind and thoughtful father raising these 3 little girls into adulthood.  They divorced in 1985.  In January 1993, Steve married Terese Gorman.  Terese had 2 little girls, Bryn and Kara Gardner.  And again, Steve was a wonderful, kind, caring husband and father who raised 2 more little girls into adulthood.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Travis and Bee Glass and his brother Mike Glass.  Survivors include his sisters, Julia Maul and Laura Glass, his wife of 31 years, Terese Gorman and his daughters Tracy Kihm (Ted), Lawrence, Kansas, Jill Balogh (John), Raleigh, North Carolina, Amy Byrn (Mike), Lawrence, Kansas, Bryn Womack (Brandon), Plainfield, Illinois, and Kara Hutchison (Derek), Las Vegas, Nevada, and 14 grandchildren, Stephen Schmille, Leslie Schmille, Sarah Schmille, Dylan Geiger (Nicole), John Kihm, Nicolas Balogh (Hannah), Daniel Balogh, Patrick Balogh, Lauren Vaughn (Elliot), Morgan Bergeron (Joshua), Stratton Womack, Harrison Womack, Easton Womack, and Landry Womack and 6 great-grandchildren, Veda Balogh, Lottie Balogh, Maverick Vaughn, Maren Vaughn, Grayson Bergeron, and Jason Geiger.

In lieu of flowers, Steve would be honored if memorial contributions were made to the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, the First United Methodist Church of Lawrence, or the Lawrence Schools Foundation (Travis E. Glass Scholarship Fund).  Memorial contributions made in Steve’s name may be sent to Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 West 13^th Street, Lawrence, Kansas 66044.

The family would like to sincerely thank Bridge Haven Memory Care staff, Ascend Hospice, and Brandon Woods Memory Care staff for all their wonderful work, patience, and help with Steve through his Alzheimer’s journey.