Mary Jo Moore, age 84, of Prairie Village, KS passed away Friday, March 20th. She died peacefully at home with her daughters Jo Dee and Michele, and Michele’s dog Prudence at her side.
Mary Jo grew up in Neodesha, a small town in southeast Kansas. She was a typical mid-1950’s teenager having a good time dancing to Elvis, cruising to the DQ for a shake and playing pranks like putting a flashing red light on a classmate’s front porch. Yes, she really did that.
After high school Mary Jo attended Independence Community College where she majored in socializing and playing the school’s pirate mascot. Deciding college wasn’t for her, she headed to the big city to live with her cousin.
When she landed a job at Smak’s in Kansas City, Mom met her love, champion and hero, Don Moore. Fast food wasn’t a good fit for her, but Don was an excellent fit. They were married September 8, 1962, and began a love affair that lasted 62 years. Her daughters Jo Dee and Michele came along shortly after in 1963 and 1964.
Mary Jo charmed everyone with her genuine interest in getting to know them, her sweetness and great sense of humor. Her daughter Michele, called her “Oprah” for her talent in getting people to share their personal stories. Her winning smile and friendliness made her a favorite with patients at Kansas City Bone and Joint Clinic where she worked as a receptionist for 21 years.
Golf, travel, orchids, her family, decorating and cooking were some of Mary Jo’s interests. She made a mean peach pie, with rhubarb pie coming in a close second. She played in several golf leagues and was very competitive. She loved to collect those Birdie Badges. Mary Jo and Don enjoyed sharing many rounds of golf together all over the U.S. They traveled the world together. Hawaii and Italy were her favorite destinations. They spent their 50th wedding anniversary in Paris.
Mary Jo was a bonafide “orchid whisperer” cultivating a large collection of different varieties.
Mary Jo’s unconditional love for her daughters never wavered even when they tried very hard to test it. She was an incredible mom and grandma. She and Michele were often partners in crime and cover ups of many goofy escapades. Mary Jo loved supporting her daughters in all their activities from tennis matches to swimming meets. She stayed at the Alpha Phi house at Mizzou helping the members with rush and was a founder of the Mizzou Alpha Phi Mom’s club. Mary Jo adored her grandchildren, Andy and Sarah. She and Andy stirred up many batches of cookies, and she loved cheering him on from the sidelines at his sports games. She would pick up Sarah from school every Wednesday and they would go to Foo’s Frozen custard.
Community service was important to Mary Jo. She was a member of Johnson County Young Matrons for over 20 years. She served on the board of Safe Home of Johnson County. As a young woman Mary Jo was active in Beta Sigma Phi serving as President and named Woman of the Year.
Mary Jo is survived by her daughters Michele (Moore) and Jo Dee (Berger) and grandchildren Andy (Berger) and Sarah (Berger). She was preceded in death by her husband Don Moore and her parents H.W. “Buck” and Lois Thomason.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 10th at 10:30 a.m. at Village Presbyterian Church. A reception will be held immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made in memory of Mary Jo to Safehome of Johnson County or First Call.
https://www.firstcallkc.org/give-in-memory/
https://safehome-ks.org/donate/
