Paul Lewis Lerner Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Paul Lewis Lerner, of Overland Park, passed away peacefully, after an extended illness, on July 5, 2014, at the age of 59. Paul is remembered fondly by his mother, Rosie Lerner; brothers and sisters-in-law Michael Lerner and Audrey Asher and Bruce and Devra Lerner; nephews and nieces Zack Lerner and fiancée Krista Roquette, David Lerner, and Nate and Genevieve Asher; and by his numerous cousins, extended family, and dear friends. The son of Rosie and the late Morris Lerner, Paul was born May 25, 1955, in Kansas City, Mo. He graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School, and received a B.A. in Art History from Northwestern University, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Following graduation, Paul worked at Sotheby’s in London and the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., before moving to New York City, where a series of jobs at private art galleries led to a position as director of communications for Jacques Jugeat, the American distributor for the noted French glassware-maker Lalique. Fluent in spoken and written French, Paul divided time between Paris and New York until returning home to the Kansas City area in 1995, where he served as director of advertising for Annieglass, director of sales for Lynn Chase Designs, and development director of the American Jazz Museum, before launching his own nonprofit consultancy. Through Paul Lerner and Associates, he coordinated fundraising events and development campaigns for numerous major nonprofits in Kansas City and beyond. Throughout his life, Paul maintained a love for beautiful things and art in all its forms. He had a great eye for visual aesthetics, and was a talented writer, singer, and pianist. However, his greatest skill set was as an organizer, advisor, and connector. As well as he could see the beauty in any work of art, he could see the potential in a room, in an organization, and in everyone he met. He knew “everybody who was anybody”—and many more who weren’t; though he counted David Rockefeller, Ron Lauder, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Suzanne Lalique among his professional and personal contacts, he treated each friend and associate as a VIP. Through his networks—from business and political leaders to Jazz singers to professional athletes—Paul’s mission was to find resources and match them with individuals and organizations in need. He had an uncanny ability to get distinguished people to act with him in service of the causes he championed. His embodiment of chesed, the Jewish concept of delivering kindness where it is most needed, extended to institutions such as the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, the American Jazz Museum, a string of Kansas City charter schools, and the Conservatory of Music and Dance at UMKC, where he also served as a trustee. Paul’s strongest commitment was always to his family. He was his mother’s youngest child and, particularly in later years, her best friend (and roommate), accompanying her to events, appointments, and family gatherings. He stood ready to deploy his acumen and contacts to help his loved ones, whether to assist a brother in business ventures or to coordinate efforts for the care of a debilitated aunt. And a visit to his old stomping grounds in New York never passed without his treating a nephew or younger cousin to dinner and a Broadway show. He was always available to family, friends, and colleagues for advice, support, and encouragement, and will be remembered and cherished for his love, humor, intelligence, and generosity. Anyone who wanted to laugh knew to seek out Paul, who was both proud and punctilious in his role as a world-class schmoozer; he had a story about everyone, but rarely if ever spoke ill of anyone. He was dearly loved and will be terribly missed by many, but will live on in their hearts and memories, and through the good acts of those who follow the example set by his life of service. A funeral service in memory of Paul will be held on Monday, July 7, at 2 p.m., at Louis Memorial Chapel, 6830 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri. Interment will follow at Mount Carmel Cemetery. Contributions in memory of Paul may be made to the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, the UMKC Conservatory, Congregation Beth Shalom, or the charitable organization of your choice.

Paul Lewis Lerner

May 25, 1955 - July 5, 2014