Mary was born August 23rd 1940 to John and Cecelia McGuigan in Hays KS and was raised with 6 siblings in Wichita KS.  Pat, Mike, Sally, Jerry, Jimmy and Tim.  She attended grade school at Blessed Sacrament and graduated from Cathedral High School in 1958. There she dated her future husband John Parks.   Later graduating from St. Joseph School of Nursing in 1962 she moved to Kansas City and worked in local hospitals as an ER Nurse.  Here she met Bob Bowers, was married,  and had 4 children, Ben, Matt, Susie, and Brad.  While as a homemaker she returned to Nursing as a school nurse at the elementary school her children attended.  Later she returned to school herself at Park University for Psychiatric Nursing and began a new career path and life.  It was then that she reconnected with her high school sweetheart John Parks and they were soon married and moved to Los Angeles.  After 5 years they returned to Kansas City to be closer to family and grandkids.   They also traveled the US and world together on many trips including Rome, Ireland, and Jerusalem.  They enjoyed hosting holiday gatherings with family and were together very active in church activities at the Cathedral in downtown KC.  After John passed in 2015 she lived with her daughter and rescue dog Annie while also supporting the Royals and Chiefs.   In her final year she was blessed to know her great grandson.