Mary Kay Drees

Mary Kay was born on April 22, 1939 in Topeka, KS to Alice and Gene Judy. When she was six years old, her family moved to Newton, KS where they lived for six years while her father worked for the Santa Fe Rail Road. At age 12, they transferred with Santa Fe to Atlanta, GA. During her years in Atlanta she went to grade and high school and nurse’s training and became an R.N.

In 1961, she moved to Kansas City with her family and started her career as a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital. On August 25, 1962 she was united in marriage to Louis F. Drees. During her first few years of marriage, she was an instructor in the nursing program at the old Providence hospital and later, a school nurse at St. Agnes grade school.

On September 27, 1968 their daughter Mary Ellen was born and on March 19, 1970 their daughter Carol Ann.

Mary Kay can be described as a great competitor. She played basketball at Sacred Heart High School in Atlanta and once scored 48 of her team’s 52 total points in one game. She competed in tennis and played for amateur title finals against the daughter of Walley Butts, the football coach of Georgia University. She did lose, however, because Mary Kay had no formal training but the coach’s daughter had lessons galore.

Mary Kay learned to play golf at Milburn Country Club and later Blue Hills Country Club. She and three friends won the National Cancer tournament one year in Florida at the Blue Monster by beating women from New York. Whether Mary Kay was playing gin rummy or yard darts, she had an extreme desire to compete.

After her daughters reached their maturity, Mary Kay went to work for Catholic Charities in KC, KS as a Home Health Nurse, later becoming director of Home Health and then became Director of Volunteers.

Mary Kay had a personality and gentle nature that allowed her to ask people to volunteer for all the services that Catholic Charities provides. Very few people turned down her requests to volunteer and some, she was sure, did things that they imagined they would never do or be asked to do. Her success ratio in requesting people to volunteer was just shy of 100%. The spirit of volunteerism and service to others that she instilled in so many will have an endless impact on our community.

Mary Kay, herself, was a volunteer for many organizations. She volunteered at the old St. Joseph House. She was a Ladies of Charity and served as President, and with Anita Dunn organized the Seton Center thrift shop. She was president of the Cure of Ars Women’s Club, a board member of Catholic Charities and on numerous committees at Church of the Nativity.

Mary Kay was given five years to live by her first surgeon, after her ovarian cancer was diagnosed in 1998. Even with chemotherapy, radiation, and a second surgery, Mary Kay never complained or sought sympathy. She kept an upbeat heart and mind and left everything up to God.

Mary Kay entered her eternal life on August 21, 2013 surrounded by the love of her family and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Gene Judy and sister, JoAnn Teahan. She is survived by her husband, Lou, daughters Mary Ellen and Carol Ann, her mother Alice Judy, brothers Larry Judy (Kathy), Bernard Judy (Jan) and Stephen Judy (Nancy), her sister-in-law Margaret McWilliams, brother-in-law Rich Teahan and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews and last but not least, her many friends and hundreds of volunteers whom she deeply loved and appreciated for their dedication to the poor and less fortunate.

Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, August 23rd. The Rosary will be prayed at 5 p.m. prior to visitation. Mass of the Resurrection will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, August 24th. All services will be held at Church of the Nativity at 3800 W 119th Street, Leawood, KS 66209. Please offer condolences at www.mcgilleyhoge.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. Assistance by Funeral Advocates, LLC. Arrangements by McGilley & Hoge Chapel, 8024 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, KS.