Margaret M. Jensen

Margaret was born August 1, 1918, in Somerville, MA to James and Margaret (Kelleher) White. She spent her early years in Belmont, MA with her younger siblings Elizabeth and Paul. Her East Coast roots and strong Irish Catholic upbringing stayed with her throughout her life, as did her love of theater and music.

Margaret met her future husband, Stanley Keith Jensen of Cheyenne, WY, when she volunteered at the USO Buddies’ Club on historic Boston Common during WWII. Keith was a sailor in the U.S. Navy stationed at the Boston Navy Yard, and according to Margaret, a very good dancer. They were married on September 11, 1943 in Washington, D.C. Though separated by the war, they would later be reunited to raise their five children.

After several transfers, the family finally settled in Kansas City, where Margaret joined the UMKC School of Law, and would work there for more than two decades, eventually retiring as Coordinator of Admissions and Records in 1988 at 70 years old. In 1988 she received the Chancellor of the University of Missouri’s Outstanding Administrative Service Award. In retirement, Margaret remained active with the UMKC Retirees Association as a board member, VP, and President. She also volunteered as an adult literacy tutor with the Kansas City Laubach Literacy Council (Literacy KC), and the KC Shepherd’s Center. She was a member of the UMKC Women’s Club and the Siena Club.

Margaret loved spending time with her family and friends, from boisterous holiday dinners, to vacations in Hawaii, Alaska, England, Scotland, France, or her beloved Ireland.

She was vibrant into old age, playing (usually winning) bridge and Scrabble, doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles, and playing Words with Friends online. She was an avid reader, particularly of murder mysteries, took line dancing classes multiple times a week late into life, and passionately loved flowers and the ocean, ice cream and chocolate, coffee with cream and sugar, and the occasional tiny glass of wine.

Margaret was preceded in death by her husband S. Keith Jensen, her parents James and Margaret White, her brother James Paul White, her sister Elizabeth Prout, and her husband’s parents Viola Graham and Iver Jensen. She is survived by her children Judith Hyde (Tom), Paul Jensen (Ann), Michael Jensen (Lois), Patricia Heil (Tim), and Elizabeth Inayoshi (Shigematsu), nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services will be held on Tuesday, November 5th at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, 2 E. 75th St., Kansas City, MO. Visitation at 10:00 am followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am. Interment at Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery, 6901 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org.