Jenifer Ann Melichar, born August 14, 1940 in Ironwood, MI, died in Overland Park, KS on January 12, 2025.
Visitation will be from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 26, at Cure of Ars Catholic Church, 9405 Mission Rd. Leawood, KS. The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12 noon on Monday, January 27, also at Cure of Ars. Private burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa, KS.
Jenifer is survived by Donald, her devoted husband and best friend of 61 years; son Michael (Jane) and daughter Tara (Mark), beloved grandchildren Brian Melichar and Meg and Jon Millar. She is also survived by nieces, Vanessa (Mike) Rejsa, and Lisa-Marie (Bob) Hanson, nephew Rob Dieteman.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Leno and Margaret Costa, sister, Marcolene Dieteman, brother-in-law, Bob Dieteman, and many dear aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Jenifer attended Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Duluth, MN, graduated from Alexander Ramsey High School in Roseville, MN in 1958 & the University of MN in 1962 with a degree in Education. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority.
Working while in high school & college enabled her to fulfill her dream of traveling to Europe with college friends during the entire summer of 1962. She taught elementary grades in the Inver Grove, MN School District. She received her MBA and Reading Specialist degree from UMKC earning the UMKC Academic Achievement Award from the School of Education and was a teaching assistant there in the Reading Department. She was a member of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society & was elected to membership in Pi Lambda Theta a National Honor & Professional Association in Education. When her husband and son started their construction business she procured a real estate license, worked as a sales associate at Reece and Nichols and decorated and maintained their model homes. She was a member of Cure of Ars Catholic Church and sang in the Cure of Ars choir. Their trip to Rome which included singing at Mass in St. Peter's Basilica was one of the highlights of her life & of the many trips she took with Donald. She enjoyed participating in 2 book clubs, the condolence committee, scripture study, and the women's bridge group at Cure of Ars, Questers, because she believed in preservation of historic landmarks, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Johnson County Genealogical Society & the Czech-Slovak Genealogical Society. Her love of genealogy led to finding both her relatives and Don's in the Czech Republic and to their exciting visit there. Jenifer loved life, her family & friends & thanked God for them. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to Cure of Ars Catholic Church, 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood, KS, Catholic Charities of Northeast KS, 9720 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS or Operation Breakthrough.