John Dardess Obituary

Private Family Services for John W. Dardess, 83, of Lawrence were held through Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Interment was at Pioneer Cemetery.

Mr. Dardess died Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at St. Luke's Hospice House.

He was born January 17, 1937, in Chatham, NY, the son of John Dardess and Edna Wolfe Dardess. He graduated from Chatham High School in NY in 1954 and Georgetown University in 1958. He earned a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1968. He moved to Lawrence in 1966 from New York.

Mr. Dardess served in the U.S. Army in the 1960s and was a Professor of History at the University of Kansas from 1966 to 2002 where he taught Chinese and Inner Asian History. He also served as Director of the Center for East Asian Studies from 1995-1997. He was fluent in many languages and was the author of ten books.

Survivors include a son, Tad and his wife, Pam, Durham, NC; a brother, George and his wife Peg, Rochester, NY; and two grandchildren, Lea and Maya.

Mr. Dardess was an avid bicyclist and also enjoyed gardening, writing and baseball.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lawrence Unchained Bicycle Co-op, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.