KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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Jack Dryden, a longtime Belton resident, passed away Oct. 12, 2025. A memorial service is planned for this weekend.
KSHB 41 News reporter Megan Abundis reported last year about Dryden donating 69 acres of land. The area sits adjacent to Cleveland Lake.
Dryden was a strong participant in the Belton community, according to his obituary. He wanted to give back to the town that raised him, with a dream for an arboretum and community green space.
That land was donated on June 13, 2024.
"It was probably the best phone call I’ve taken in two years because it was Jack,” Brian Welborn, Belton Parks and Recreation director, told Abundis on a visit to the property last year. "Ironically, Jack owned the land that is now Cleveland Lake, which is right next to the land he has donated."
Dryden, born in 1931, spent much of his life a few blocks away from downtown Belton. He graduated from the Belton school system in 1949, where he later went on to organize and attend class reunions. Dryden was inducted into the Belton High School Hall of Fame in 2001.
After he graduated from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, Dryden joined the family business at Dryden Drug Store. The store thrived until 2010, when it was closed.
In Abundis' 2024 report, Welborn stated there was a buzz in the once small town of Belton, as the community sees exponential growth.
"We excited," he told Abundis.
It'd be fair to credit Dryden with much of Belton's growth over the past decades. He helped found the Main Street Merchants Association and was involved with the committee to build Belton's first swimming pool.
Plus, Dryden was part of the committee that helped save and restore Old Belton City Hall. The list goes on about his impact on the community.
In August, KSHB 41 visited downtown Belton for a Let's Talk event. Residents requested coverage of Dryden's donation and an update on the arboretum.
At the time, the city told KSHB 41 the project hadn't moved along much.
While that might be the case for now, Dryden's legacy will live on regardless.
“Jack is a lifetime Belton resident," Welborn told KSHB 41 last year. “He loves this community, and I think it would be his dream to bring other people who haven’t been to Belton or don’t know about Belton, bring them into our community and show them something that he started with his donation. He loves the outdoors, loves nature, and he’s all about education as well."
Jack Dryden is survived by his wife of 42 years, Sandra Greene Dryden, their three children, multiple grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
A memorial service for Jack Dryden will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at Memorial Station, located at 602 Maurer Parkway in Belton, with a visitation following.
The family is requesting no flowers. If any donations are made in honor of Jack, the family asks they be sent to the Belton Parks and Recreation Department or a charity of your choice.
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