John Paul Cary

John Paul Cary, 87, died on May 8, 2026 at home surrounded by his family. 

John was born on January 19,1939 in Arkansas City, Kansas to Catherine and Paul Cary. He grew up and attended school in Arkansas City, including Cowley College. He married his high school sweetheart Sheryl Dowler on August 9,1959. They moved to Wichita and both went to Wichita State University. John graduated in 1962 with a degree in aeronautical engineering and then began his engineering career with NASA at Edwards Air Force Base in California. During his seven years at NASA, he worked primarily on the X-15 Research Aircraft Program and specialized in the analysis of the X-15 flight data. In June 1969, John and Sheryl moved back to Kansas to be closer to family. John then worked for Beechcraft, specifically on target drones for the military. John moved to Boeing in 1985 where he worked on the aerodynamics of the A-6 Intruder and then in liaison engineering until his retirement in May 2000. Following his retirement, John became a “gentleman farmer”, managing the family farm and playing golf.

John is preceded in death by his parents, one infant brother, and his older brother Joe. He is survived by his wife, Sheryl, two daughters, Diane (Joe) Milanese, and Laura (James) Branstetter, and his grandchildren Claire (Jesse) Hollingsworth, Chase (Tess) Branstetter, bonus-grandchildren, Marissa and Ashley Milanese, two nieces, Cathy (Wiley) Wilcox, Cristi (Rick) Miller, and a large circle of extended family and friends who loved him deeply and often said, “He’s one of the good guys.”

A celebration of life will be held at Woodlawn United Methodist Church in Derby on May 18th at 3:00 pm. There will be a reception following the service in the church Worship Center until 5:00 pm. His ashes will be dispersed at a later time.

Memorial Contributions may be made to:

Woodlawn United Methodist Church, 431 South Woodlawn Boulevard, Derby, Kansas 67037, or Derby Community Foundation, Memo: John Cary Scholarship, PO Box 372, Derby, Kansas 67037.