Jean Margaret Oster Dwyer

Jean Margaret Oster Dwyer passed away on May 31, 2023. She was a friend to all and lived life to the fullest at every turn. She will be missed by family, friends, and the many people she helped throughout her life.

She was born June 20, 1930 in Anderson Indiana and was just days away from 93 years old. Jean relished being a “Hoosier” from the great state of Indiana. She graduated from St. Mary’s (Anderson), received a nursing degree from St Vincent’s School of Nursing (Indianapolis) in 1951 and her bachelors degree from St. Louis University in 1953. She married “Irish” Mike Dwyer in 1956 and he was the love of her life for 47 years.

She taught medical nursing, in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri and ended her career as a nurse for the Special School District in St. Louis serving the severely handicapped.

Jean and Mike loved to travel and vacationed every summer to many different states and Canada with their children. After retirement they continued traveling and saw the world, including Russia and China. Jean later continued on her own, going to other places like Antarctica, Norway to above the Arctic Circle, and Iceland.

In St. Louis, Jean was active in Girl Scouts, Garden Club, church functions and Meals on Wheels. Upon moving to Kansas City she volunteered for Union Station, St. Vincent food pantry, KCI Airport, Platte County Visitor’s Bureau and Holy Family Church. No grass grew under her feet.

The rest of the time Jean loved visiting with her extended family, playing bridge in many groups, gardening, and playing games/cards with family. She was sharp at cards/games until the end.

Jean is preceded in death by her parents, Clement and Eda Oster, husband Michael Dwyer and sister Lois Laughlin. She is survived by her children Mary Dwyer, Kate Dwyer, Dan (Jeaneen) Dwyer and Ann Dwyer Sanders (Steven Sanders) and grandchildren Michael, Meghan, Thomas and Brendan Dwyer and Katherine and Elizabeth Sanders. In addition she had many nieces and nephews and their children who loved to be part of her life. She was the matriarch for the Dwyer clan for decades. She cherished her life-long friends Marty Lowrance and Rosie Nadaf as well as Marty’s daughter Laurie.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church with funeral immediately following. Internment will be at the National Cemetery in Leavenworth, KS. In lieu of flowers please donate to Holy Family Catholic Church, St. Vincent’s Alumni Nurses Scholarship fund (St. Vincent Hospital, 6830 N Randall St., Indianapolis, IN) or your favorite charity.