Aileen Marie McDonnell was born on December 21, 1931 to Elizabeth and Leonard Spreitzer in Kansas City, Missouri, and passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 14, 2020 in Overland Park, KS with family at her side. She attended Loretto High School and graduated from the St Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in 1952. She dedicated her entire nursing career to St. Joseph Hospital and was loyal to it even after retirement. She was married to Randall McDonnell for fifty one years and had five children: Randy, Mike, Kathy (Overland Park, KS), Patty (Silver City, NM), Teresa Coppage (Kansas City, MO); three grandchildren, Gabriel Coppage (Kansas City, MO), Joseph Clark (Chicago, IL) and Anna Clark (Lawrence, KS) and one brother, Tom Spreitzer (Lake Lotawana, MO). She is preceded in death by her husband, Randall, and her two sons, Randall III and Michael.
Her life was an earnest expression of love through action. Her compassionate caregiving extended beyond her nursing skills. She volunteered as a respite caregiver, a Eucharistic minister, various church positions at Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church and was always willing to pitch in wherever she saw a need. She had many talents including plumber and electrician, seamstress, nutritionist, chef, babysitter, and fan of anything her grandchildren were interested in. She was curious and willing to try things. She once said that she had decided to say YES to anything one of her children or grandchildren proposed. The roles she embraced did not come with glory or recognition but made a difference in the world. She was always available to help her family and her community.
As a working mother, she was a trailblazer. She was loving and modeled a mostly healthy lifestyle. She had a strong work ethic and was dedicated to her family. She approached life with an abiding faith. She lived a life of service. Throughout her life, she taught us to keep moving forward in spite of difficulties. She was a role model for resilience and grit.
Aileen's visitation will begin at 9:30am followed by her memorial mass at 10:30am on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at Queen of the Holy Rosary, 7023 W. 71st Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204.
