Arthur Devere Biggs

Beloved father, husband and grandfather, Arthur Devere Biggs, passed away peacefully with family by his side on April 8, 2025, at his house in Topeka, KS. He was born December 30, 1933, in Circleville, Kansas, the son of Marvin Arthur Biggs and Bessie Harriet Sutton Biggs of Allen, Kansas. He was raised and attended school in Allen, alongside two older sisters and two older brothers. After he finished high school he attended one year of classes at the College of Emporia and received a certificate of radio and television repair. He then attended Kansas State University for one year before he proudly served his country in the US Army. After completing his military service in 1956, he utilized the GI Bill to pay for the remainder of his education at Kansas State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering in 1959.

After KSU he was employed in research and development for Boeing Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. While living there he met and married Dorothy Smiley in 1963. The couple came to own and operate S&A Telephone Company in Allen, Kansas, where they raised three daughters and were active volunteers for numerous United Methodist Church classes and projects, youth recreation, and USD 251 school activities. They divorced in 1995.

Arthur was an active civic volunteer during his years raising a family in Lyon County. In the 1970's and 80's he was a member of the USD 251 school board and volunteered to be the mayor of Allen. Some of his favorite projects were spearheaded during his tenure as mayor…these include Allen Villa (affordable senior housing), utilizing Jones Fund grants to establish a playground, tennis courts and ball field for the City of Allen, getting Allen on rural water and a city sewer system, and helping establish a library and senior center.

His tenure in the US Army fortified his discipline and sense of duty, qualities that he carried into his professional life. As a truly curious soul with an engineering mind, Arthur reveled in the rapid advancements of the telephony industry, always eager to learn and adapt to the ever-changing technological landscape. As a child, he helped operate the telephone switchboard which was in his home. In addition to managing the land-line telephone exchanges his parents had developed for Allen, Admire and Scranton, he worked to bury all aerial lines so that service would be more reliable. His keen interest in the burgeoning field of telephony saw him at the forefront of the industry's explosive growth. He was both lineman and backhoe operator that helped in the enormous project of burying miles of cable. In the 1980's he was instrumental in the testing of Ultraphone to utilize the first of microwave telephony that would upgrade the rural, party line customers to private lines. He was also on the cutting edge of cellular development, helping to establish Kansas Cellular.

In the mid-1990's, Art retired in Topeka where he met Marla Mitchem Sanders. They later married and enjoyed years of dancing with their friends at the American Legion and VFW. Art was an avid tennis player until Parkinson's made it no longer possible. He continued to dance, a testament to his enduring passion and zest for life. His devoted wife, Marla, was his partner in every sense, sharing in his triumphs and comforting him in times of need. She said he never complained.

He is survived by his wife Marla Mitchem Biggs; daughters, Elaine (Don) Minter, Desoto, Marcia (Brett) Huffman, Allen, and Melanie (Lance) Klein, Kansas City, MO; stepdaughters, Christy Stegman, Topeka, and Deborah (Kermit Gilbert) Sanders, Cheyenne, WY; grandchildren, Rick (Bailey) Clancy, Lenexa, Logan Clancy, Overland Park, Becca (Kaine) Fredrickson, Timnath, CO, Courtney (Ryan) Burns, Denver, CO, Matt Minter, Platte City, MO, Cort Huffman, Allen, Neal Huffman, Topeka, Chloe Klein, Kansas City, MO, Jessica (Broc) Driskell, Topeka, Dakota Stegman, Topeka, Sadie Stegman, Topeka, Graham Gilbert, Cheyenne, WY; great grandson, Greyson Driskell, Topeka; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will celebrate his life on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 10 am, at Allen United Methodist Church. There will be a light lunch after the service. A portion of his ashes will be buried in the Allen Cemetery at 1:30.

A memorial in his name will go to the North Lyon County Youth Association (a non-profit organization that oversees the operation of the NLC Child Development Center and the NLC Community Center), a project near and dear to his heart. Checks can be made out to NLCYA and mailed to Marcia Huffman, PO Box 27, Allen, KS 66833.

Arthur's story is not one of sadness, but a motivating reminder to dance through life's storms. Even as Parkinson's challenged him, he faced each day with unwavering strength. His journey may have reached its physical end, but his influence endures, encouraging us to live fully and love deeply. His loss is felt by his family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to cross paths with him. He was a beacon of love - a man who gave generously of himself. We celebrate his remarkable legacy of a life well-lived and well-loved - triumph of the human spirit in the face of life's challenges. His memory will continue to inspire and guide us all.