In Honor And Remembrance Of Our Loved One, Norman Besheer.
Norman O. Besheer made big waves in the pest control industry for over 50 years. In 1989, he was awarded as “One of the top 5 most influential people in the entire pest control industry.”
Celebrating his life: December 21, 1928 – December 23, 2024
We’re heartbroken to share the news that our past (2nd generation) president of almost 30 years and 20-year CEO (until Dec 2024), Norman O. Besheer, passed away peacefully at home on December 23, 2024, at the age of 96, just two days after celebrating his 96th birthday. Norman was actively involved in the company since he left his career in law and joined his father-in-law as the second generation in our family to run the company in 1971. Norman Besheer Will Be Missed.
Norman lived a wonderful long, involved, and dedicated life surrounded by his loved ones and descendants. And up until just a few weeks before his (a bit unexpected) passing, he made a regular appearance at our Waldo office with a briefcase in hand and sat proudly in his office of multiple decades.
Our family and employees remember how meticulously organized he was – always writing checks and keeping track of all filing dates and records – doing things in a very specific way – a testament to his years as an attorney and years in the Marines. Both of his previous professions didn’t leave much room for anything less than responsible, so as his son Jay (our 3rd generation president) spoke at Norman’s funeral – the two of them ran the company hand-in-hand for years and made a great team.
Jay – the risk-taker, the one who grew the company to a multi-million dollar pest firm, and Norman – the conservative – who made sure there was always a healthy profit, and made sure all employees were always taken care of before all else.
He Turned His Life Of Lemons Into A Sea Of Lemonade
Norman’s independence and determination shone in 1945 when his family moved to Houston, while Norman insisted on staying in Kansas City. At the age of 16, he moved himself into a boarding house at 34th and Benton Blvd in midtown Kansas City and began working night shifts after school at Hallmark Cards.
It was about this time that he met the love of his life, Patricia Ann (“Pat”) Gunter, whom he later married in 1949. Patricia’s grandfather Luther E. (“Pop”) Gunter and grandmother Bertha Gunter managed the cafeteria at Central High School and famously slipped Norman free “slugs” (coins) which he used to buy a daily school lunch. According to Norman, “If it were not for ‘Pop,’ I would have starved to death!”
Norman visiting his future wife of 70+ years, Pat Besheer, while she was attending Baker University
A proud veteran, Norman enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17, Norman served for 13 years in the US Marine Corps Reserve, retiring in 1982 as a Major, a rank he considered one of his greatest achievements.
Norman pursued higher education with the same vigor, earning his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas City School of Law. He dedicated much of his early career to the legal field and served as an attorney, corporate counsel, and community advocate.
Norman’s 1950s resume. It looks much different than our resumes today in 2025!
In 1971, he left his career in law to join his father-in-law’s pest control company, Gunter Pest Management. As the second-generation family member to run the company, he was succeeded by his son Jay Gunter and grandson Noah Gunter, who currently operates the company as the fourth-generation president. Besheer remained the active CEO of Gunter Pest Management until his passing, driving to work regularly until the age of 95.
Proudly Active In Our Community And The Pest Control Industry
As an active member of the Kansas City community, Norman served in numerous leadership roles in over a dozen organizations, from civic organizations to political committees, always striving to improve the lives of those around him. He was a member and officer in several organizations, including serving on the Waldo Business Association board for multiple decades, and was honored as Mayor of Waldo, he was an original member of the Kansas City Transit Authority (which devised the early plan for the Light Rail system in KC.) Click here for his full obituary.
An active member of the National Pest Management Association, he was past President and Man of the Year of the Kansas City Pest Control Association and an active member of the Missouri and Kansas Pest Management Associations, even traveling to the state capitol to lobby for the pest control industry. He served as past president of the KPCA and was inducted into the KPCA Hall of Fame. Needless to say, Norman was an icon and recognized leader in the Pest Management industry. He was also a longstanding Pi Chi Omega member (Pi Chi Omega is a fraternal organization dedicated to furthering the science of pest control) and a past board member.
A Note From His Son Jay (Past 3rd Generation Gunter president) :
“My dad was a giant in the pest control industry. Most pest companies formed because someone worked for Orkin or Terminix and struck out on their own with no experience or education. Very few people in the industry have a college degree. My dad was one of only a handful in the entire national industry to be a lawyer. So, he helped the National Pest Control Association to write their bylaws and form recommendations and platforms to present to our legislators, both at a state and federal level. When federal laws tried to take precedence over our local and state laws, he wrote the provisions to keep that from happening. In 1989, he was awarded as one of top 5 most influential people in the entire pest control industry. He was also served as President of the Missouri, Kansas and Kansas City pest Control Associations. No one else has ever done the same.”
The Pest Control Association (PCT) wrote a remembrance article after Norman’s passing. In the article, they mention how he was a member of PCT’s inaugural Crown Leadership Awards class (1989). As reported in his Crown Leadership Award article, Besheer spent countless hours commuting between Kansas City, Mo., and the state’s capitol, Jefferson City, Mo., lobbying for the industry.
He said, “I think it’s important for PCOs to take a proactive approach to issues that are likely to affect their businesses.” One example of Besheer’s proactive advocacy was his and others’ (MPCA/KPCA members) efforts to secure legislation requiring “verifiable training” of pest control service personnel, PCT reported in 1989.
Pat and Norman Besheer (front) with children working for the company at the time (back row, left to right) Christie Biggs, Zachary, and Jay Gunter. Not pictured is son Kimbrough. This photo is from Besheer’s Leadership Award article in 1989.
Our Leader, Father, Grandfather, And Community Member Norman Besheer Will Be Dearly Missed
His passion for history, genealogy, and storytelling inspired those who knew him, and his love of languages and travel enriched his family’s lives. Thank you to all who’ve reached out with condolences and to all who contributed to Norman’s life over the years. He cherished your friendships and interacting with our customers more than you know.