Kathleen “Kathy” Michele McKenzie Winn, 69, of Drexel, MO, passed away on January 22, 2026, surrounded by family after a valiant six-year cancer journey.
Kathleen was born September 12, 1956, the fourth of six children, to Jerry and Betty McKenzie in Chillicothe, MO. Her family later moved to Brookside. There, she attended St. Peter’s Parish School and Southwest High School, where she met her husband, David, and many lifelong friends.
Kathy possessed natural artistic gifts in sketching, illustration, writing, and music. After she and David welcomed two daughters and settled in Prairie Village, she found her calling as a devoted mother and as an activist, writer, and conservationist. She earned her associate degree in political science from Johnson County Community College and worked as a paralegal while raising her family. Deeply passionate about social justice, environmental causes, and community building, she also poured her talents into All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, where she sang in the choir, supported fundraising and music programs, and engaged in civil, human, and animal rights activism.
A lifelong lover of books and poetry, Kathy found her voice as a writer through Kansas City writers’ groups and had her work published in Kansas City Voices, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Grit magazine, and other publications.
In 2000, Kathy and David restored a rare native prairie near Drexel, MO, working with the Missouri Department of Conservation to steward this ancient land. In 2011, they moved nearby, building a life alongside their beloved animals. Though a 2019 cancer diagnosis altered her plans, it never dimmed her fierce spirit or her devotion to the causes and people she loved.
Most of all, Kathy will be remembered for her sparkling laugh and cheeky humor — her ability to bring warmth, joy, and light into every space she entered.
Kathleen was preceded in death by her parents, Russell Jerome “Jerry” and Betty Jane McKenzie.
She is survived by her husband of 45 years, David; daughters Michele Winn Magnuson (Walter) and Jessica Winn Winfield (Alan); grandchildren Walter (10), Hazel (6), and Riley (2); five siblings: Cecelia McKenzie-Schilling (Franz), Mary McKenzie-Dunning (Bruce), Elizabeth McKenzie-Smith (Phillip), Robert McKenzie (Rita), Patrick McKenzie (Jacqueline); many cherished nieces and nephews and their children, who affectionately knew her as “Aunt Kate”; and countless friends whose lives she touched through her gifts of music, art, words, and boundless joy.
A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 11 a.m. at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 4501 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64111.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Missouri Department of Conservation, KU Cancer Center, or Kansas City Hospice House.
The family extends profound gratitude to the oncology team at The University of Kansas Cancer Center and to the staff and volunteers at Kansas City Hospice House for their exceptional compassion, care, and support.