Monroe Dodd

Monroe E. Dodd III, 77, of Meredith, Colo., left this earth on Aug 7, 2026, after a 10-year battle with prostate cancer.

Monroe was born March 26, 1949, in Shreveport, La., to Monroe E. Dodd Jr. and Carolyn Yearwood Dodd. An only child, he graduated from Byrd High School in 1967. He was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).

Monroe attended Auburn University for a short stint before transferring to the University of Kansas. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in history. While at KU, he played trombone in the marching and pep bands.

Monroe began working at the Miami Herald as a copy editor in 1971 and in his five years there rose to assistant news editor. In 1976, he returned to the Midwest, where he spent most of his career at The Kansas City Times and, later, The Kansas City Star, after the two papers merged. He was named managing editor of The Times in 1984 and served in various other editing, leadership and mentoring roles throughout his career.

After his newspaper years, he continued telling the stories of local history and the people who shaped it. He produced material for Kansas City's NPR station, KCUR, and was a regular contributor to ‘The Walt Bodine Show,’ ‘Up To Date’ and ‘Central Standard.’

He also continued working with The Star's website and book divisions, serving in roles that ranged from editing and writing to production management. He worked on The Star's 1999 local history book, ‘Kansas City: An American Story,’ and wrote and edited numerous other books about the region's history, including the ‘Kansas City Then and Now’ series.

Monroe served on the Board of Directors of the Mid-America Press Institute and as its president and chairman. He was a member of The Associated Press Managing Editors; a member and commodore of the Perry Yacht Club; a board member of the Upper Frying Pan Caucus; and president of the Ruedi South Shore HOA.

In 1996, Monroe married Jean Donaldson, and they remained together for the rest of his life. He was previously married to Marilyn Rasse, with whom he had two children.

Monroe spent many years in Kansas City and the surrounding area. He was an active sailor at Perry Yacht Club in Kansas. He and his family also traveled frequently to Colorado, where they hiked, camped, fly-fished, skied and explored. Music remained an important part of his life, and he continued to enjoy attending the Aspen Music Festival. He traveled to all 50 states and many European countries, and especially loved Paris.

Monroe and Jean retired to the beautiful Upper Frying Pan River Valley in Colorado, where they designed and built their home and enjoyed welcoming family for visits. Monroe was grateful to be part of the community and gave back through his volunteer work with Roaring Fork Fire Rescue, the Upper Frying Pan Valley Caucus and the Ruedi South Shore neighborhood.

Monroe had a sharp wit, was a colorful storyteller, consummate newsman and an excellent wordsmith who could edit a story within an inch of its life. He enjoyed a fine IPA and KC barbecue and remained an avid Chiefs, Royals and Jayhawks fan all his life.

Monroe is survived by his wife, Jean, of Meredith, Colo.; his son, Monroe Edward (Melissa), of Prairie Village, Kan.; his daughter, Marian Kling (Jeff), of Shawnee, Kan.; his former wife, Marilyn, of Fairway, Kan.; three grandchildren, Olivia Anne Kling, Jonathan Monroe Kling and Owen Monroe Dodd; and two sisters-in-law, Shearon Vaughn of Phoenix, Ariz., and Jacque Doyle of Tempe, Ariz.

Cremation will follow, with interment at Fairview Cemetery in Basalt, Colo.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, NPR/PBS or Colorado Animal Rescue.