Mary Esther Gutierrez‑Weishaar, age 88, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2026, at St. Luke’s Hospital ICU, surrounded by family and friends. She leaves behind a legacy defined by creativity, love, laughter, and an incredibly vibrant spirit.
Fondly known as “Miss Vera” during her ballroom dancing days and affectionately called “Bernie” by her family or “Gma E” by her grandchildren and their friends, Mary Esther was born on May 25, 1937. She was the twelfth of thirteen children born to Meliton and Francisca Gutierrez. She grew up in Kansas City’s historic Westside neighborhood and remained a lifelong resident of Kansas City, Missouri. She was a proud graduate of Our Lady of Guadalupe School and Redemptorist High School and a devoted member of the Catholic Church, where she faithfully shared her Catholic faith alongside her sisters and her very special goddaughter, Elizabeth.
Mary Esther was celebrated for her quick wit, playful banter, outgoing personality, brutal honesty, and sharp sense of humor. Unapologetically herself, she had a remarkable gift for connection—taking genuine interest in everyone she met and remembering even the smallest details of their lives. She was a lifelong lover of dancing, the arts, music (especially jazz & salsa), and was an enthusiastic fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals.
She had had two daughters, Denise and Stefanie. Those closest to her knew the immense pride and love she carried for Denise’s children and their accomplishments. Her great‑grandchildren were the absolute love of her life, bringing her immeasurable joy and renewed purpose in her later years.
Deeply rooted in her heritage, in 2015, Mary Esther was inducted into La Guadalupana’s, an organization devoted to promoting devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe while preserving Mexican American identity within the Westside neighborhood.
Her passion for ballroom dancing led to a successful career as a professional instructor and competitive dancer with the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. She traveled throughout the United States and many parts of the world, with a career highlight being her victory at the World Dance‑O‑Rama Competition in London in 1970. She later spent many years bartending at Kansas City’s renowned jazz club Milton’s on Main, the Auditorium Bar, and numerous events at the Plaza Inn alongside her brother‑in‑law, Ricky.
Mary Esther eventually pursued a new passion in cosmetics, working at Saks Fifth Avenue on the Country Club Plaza and later at Dillard’s. Her vibrant personality and natural rapport with others made her an exceptional Estée Lauder representative. Following her time in cosmetics, she worked at the Redemptorist Center and led catechism classes for the parish. Even in retirement, she continued working part‑time at Costco, always valuing the joy of human connection and conversation.
As her health declined in later years, Mary Esther found comfort and care at Bishop Spencer Place, where she formed deep and meaningful connections with staff, residents, and their families—generously sharing her humor, friendship, and love with everyone around her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Meliton (1971) and Francisca Gutierrez (1969); and her siblings: Emiterio (1933), Felix (1948), Jesus (1980), Maria (birth), Jose (1999) (Irma), Maria Guadalupe (1944), Roberto (1930), Angelina Perez (2011) (Martin), Maria & Rita (birth).
She is survived by her daughters, Denise Gutierrez‑Workman of Argentine, Kansas, and Stefanie Weishaar of Excelsior Springs, Missouri; her sisters, Rachel Ayala (Leo) and Maria Teresa Sauceda (Ricardo), both of Argentine, Kansas; her grandchildren, James Workman (Natasha) of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Shelby Workman of Kansas City, Kansas; her great‑grandchildren, Jay and Ariya Williams of Kansas City, Kansas, and Lyla Marie and James Jonah Workman of Newark, Delaware; her very special nieces, Elizabeth Perez‑Melcher and Sandra Ayala‑Fitchett; along with many godchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends—especially Jane Bowles.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on March 13, 2026, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, 901 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64108. Visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Rosary at 11:30 a.m. and Mass at 12:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Mount St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, 2201 Cleveland Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri. A reception will follow at the Westwood Community Room, 4700 Rainbow Boulevard, Westwood, Kansas.
“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” — St. Catherine of Siena
The family extends heartfelt thanks to the Bishop Spencer Place staff for their compassion and care during Mary Esther’s time there. Special appreciation goes to her caretakers and friends Chauncy, Z, Sanayat, Bora, Carmen, Corkie, and so many others. A very special thank you to Cindy, Kaylynn, Jen, Randy and Victor, for always assisting her and our family. They all became family during Mary Esther’s time there. We will miss you all.
We are grateful to the doctors, nurses, and staff of St. Luke’s Hospital ICU for their expertise, kindness and compassion during an incredibly difficult time.
Donations suggested to Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine Capital Campaign.
