Carl Cleveland IV

Carl packed a lot of life into his 55 years.  He was a firstborn son, a big brother, a husband, a father, an uncle, and a fifth-generation Doctor of Chiropractic.  He died of cancer on February 28, 2022.

Carl was always in motion.  As a child he and his siblings spent hours fishing, playing in the spillway behind their home, and looking for whatever wildlife could be found and caught – snakes, crawdads, frogs, and even snapping turtles.  After becoming a father and uncle, Carl taught another generation of Clevelands to do the same.  He had a natural talent for music, playing a mean electric guitar, as well as piano and harmonica.  In his forties, Carl became an accomplished ultramarathoner, completing some of the most challenging races in the country, including the Leadville 100, Grand to Grand, and the Badwater 135, often with his sisters or brother-in-law crewing for him.  He could solve a Rubik’s cube in record time and was teaching his nephew to do the same.  Carl had a quick wit and could make us laugh even when we weren’t in the mood for laughter.  He was the dad brave enough to dye his hair pink to match his daughter’s for Spirit Week.  He loved movie nights with family and was always ready for a grape ice cream slush from Sonic.  Carl loved to eat and could always be relied on to finish all the leftovers.  Every Cleveland, and all who called him friend, will forever remember his signature high-pitched “Bu-Kirk” and his distinctive whistle.

After high school, Carl served in the military and was deployed during the first Iraq war.  Later, he graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Biology degree.  Carl left his career at Perot Systems in Dallas, TX, to pursue his Doctor of Chiropractic degree, graduating from Cleveland University – Kansas City in 2010.  Carl took great pride in serving his patients at Marvin’s Midtown Chiropractic.

Carl is survived by his wife of 19 years, Dawn, and their three children, Paige (age 17), Carl V (age 17), and Maxwell (age 15); his parents, Dr. Carl S. Cleveland III and Mrs. Elizabeth Cleveland; his sister, Alexandra, and her son, Samuel; his sister Dr. Ashley; and his sister, Cynthia, her partner, Maria, and their children, Anthony and Sophia.

Visitation will be held Thursday, March 3, 2022, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Johnson County Funeral Chapel at 11200 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66210. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, March 4, 2022, at 4 p.m. at Cleveland University-Kansas City, 10850 Lowell Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas 66210. To request a link to the live-streamed video, please email marjorie.bradshaw@cleveland.edu.   In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Carl’s name to the Veteran’s Scholarship Fund at Cleveland University-Kansas City.