Overland Park, Kansas – Mary Jane McNary, 91, Overland Park, KS, passed away on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at Avenue 81 Assisted & Independent Living after a brief time in hospice care. A Memorial Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 30 at Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 7023 W. 71st. St., Overland Park, KS, where visitation will be from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. A brief reception will be at the church following the Memorial Mass. Mary Jane will be buried at Leavenworth National Cemetery at a later date, next to her husband of nearly 60 years, Ervin Lee McNary, who passed away in 2016.
Mary Jane was born on August 28, 1932, in Kansas City, KS, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Bess) Regan. Mary Jane was the youngest of four siblings: Russell Burns, Tom Regan and Dorothy Tomlin. Losing her mother, Elizabeth, to cancer at the age of 13, Mary Jane grew up to become a fiercely independent – and socially conscious – woman, graduating from Bishop Ward High School in 1950. Following high school, Mary Jane attended business school, before going to work full time at the age of 20 as a secretary at Prudential Insurance. Mary Jane remained at Prudential until 1960, when she gave birth to the first of her three children, David, followed by her daughter, Julie, and son, Tim. Mary Jane returned to work in 1976 and continued to work until retiring at age 70. Regardless if she was working professionally or a stay-at-home mom, which she loved, Mary Jane was actively involved in her children’s lives growing up, whether it was serving as a Cub Scout Den Mother, Camp Fire Leader, active PTA member, or shuttling her kids to and from school and countless games and practices.
Mary Jane’s family expanded through the years and ultimately, she was survived by her three children and their spouses, David and Sherry McNary, Julie and Mike Kelley, Tim and Mia McNary; and eight grandchildren, Ryan (Annie McNary), Regan McNary, Andrew, Ethan and Parker Kelley, Patrick, Colin and Mary Jane McNary; and three great grandchildren, Isabelle, Jacqueline and William McNary.
Mary Jane was incredibly proud of her Irish heritage and being a first-generation Irish American on her father’s side; and being a member of Daughters of the American Revolution on her mother’s side. St. Patrick’s Day was one of her most cherished holidays, regularly attending Kansas City’s St. Patrick Day Parade and continuing the celebration at the Irish Brigade Pub. An avid reader, consuming books at an incredible pace across a range of subjects, Mary Jane was particularly fond of books on Irish history or written by Irish authors.
Aside from her fierce independence, Mary Jane was resilient. A two-time cancer survivor, she rarely complained, choosing to simply put one foot in front of the other and move ahead, exemplifying kindness and grace along her entire journey. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to one of the following causes that touched Mary Jane’s heart: The JDRF Kansas and Missouri Chapter and the King’s Daughter’s School for Autism.