Marilyn Leona (McCarty) Greene, 94, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away peacefully at home on November 7, 2023. Services will be on Tuesday, November 14 at the First Baptist Church, 100 West Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Missouri at 1:00 p.m. with visitation beginning at 12:00 p.m. Burial will immediately follow at Mount Moriah Cemetery South, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri.
Marilyn was born in Los Angeles, California on October 22, 1929, 5 days prior to the stock market crash, to Leona E. Winkelman, an aspiring actress and William H. McCarty, a civil draftsman. A year into the great depression, they returned to Kansas City for work. Proud of her German and Irish heritage, she maintained her strength of character and beauty throughout her long and well-lived life.
She was a talented musician, learning harmonies at a young age and playing the piano from age 9 to 93. Family gatherings always included music, and visitors to the Greene family home were typically treated with at least “a song before you go”. She sang with Sweet Adelines for 10 years starting in 1994, occasionally helping to coach and direct music.
She discovered her passion for teaching the summer after high school (Central High), while volunteering to lead a vacation bible school class sponsored by the First Baptist Church, then at Linwood & Park. She went on to earn a B.S. degree in education at Central Missouri College (Warrensburg), with a minor in music. While at her first teaching job at Horace Mann, she met a handsome and charming industrial arts teacher, Charles L. Greene, who also loved music. They married on August 16, 1952, had three daughters, and enjoyed nearly 64 years together.
In 1984, she returned to school to earn a M.S. degree in special education from Avila, in part inspired by her late daughter Diane’s mental illness and learning disabilities. She retired from the KCMO school district after 32 years of teaching elementary students, primarily kindergarten, with the last four years as a special education teacher. She held various other teaching and leadership roles including the PTA, Brownie and Girl Scout leader, Sunday school teacher, music teacher and camp counselor (leading songs for over 100 girls). She participated in many alumni, professional and social organizations throughout her life.
She had a life-long love of learning, curious about, well, everything. She read the Kansas City Star and various magazines, occasionally pointing out spelling or grammar errors. She watched Jeopardy and worked Jumble puzzles with daughter Janice. True to character, she self-graded her puzzles and would proudly declare success when she achieved a solo 100%. She kept up with current events and in her last days, insisted on completing an absentee ballot, a dutiful citizen to the end.
She loved to travel and together with her husband Charlie, visited all 50 states as well as 30 countries. Throughout their travels, they were known to spontaneously “join the band” on stage for a song or two, spreading their joy.
Marilyn was once told she had a “million-dollar smile” which simply reflected the joy and love she carried in her heart for all people and creatures of the world. She was grateful for every single day and when asked what she most wanted to teach the world, she said “kindness and unconditional love”.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband Charlie, daughter Diane K. Greene, sister Jolora Jean (McCarty) Culbertson, her parents, many relatives, friends and beloved pets. She is survived by her daughters Janice M. Greene, Alice E. (Greene) Boinski and son-in-law R. “Mike” Boinski, nieces Marty Culbertson, Bonnie Zimmerman, Kathy Beauchamp (Bo), nephews Jim and Bill Culbertson, Paul King (Pam), and Mike King (Julie).
The family extends a special thank you to Melissa and Jackie of AHC Hospice for their kindness and care during her time in hospice. Memorial contributions can be made to the First Baptist Church of Kansas City, 100 West Red Bridge Rd., KCMO, 64114 or the charity of your choice.
