Grace Ann Kramer

Grace Ann Kramer, died on February 1, 2023, at the age of 86 surrounded by family in Kansas City, Missouri. Grace was born on October 5, 1936, in Salem, OH to William “Neil” Smith and Mary Magdalen (Garthwaite) Smith and was the oldest of four children. Grace was married in Ohio on July 20th of 1957 and had three children Kathleen, Lynn and Chris.

After moving to Kansas City in 1972, Grace worked a variety of administration jobs while also being a wonderful homemaker and mother to her three children. Her roles included long tenures with RO Products in Olathe and Hershey Chocolate Co. out of Hershey, PA. Grace entered the real estate industry after her children were grown and worked for Century 21 real estate. Grace left the real estate industry in the mid 1990’s to take care of her mother that she relocated from Ohio. At this time Grace split her time between taking care of her mother and volunteering, primarily at the Shepherds Center of Kansas City. After Grace lost her mother, she became a full time Grandma to her grandchildren and was a “built in” babysitter for many, many years. She loved every minute of it.

Besides Grace’s love for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, she loved the Kansas City Chiefs and all her friends at her local Applebee’s. In fact, when they remodeled her local Applebee’s, where she had an entire circle of family and friends, they put up placards for all the regulars. Grace’s placard was right in her spot at the end of the bar where she would root on her Kansas City Chiefs with her friends and family. Grace’s other favorite spot was the original Cascone’s Italian restaurant where she spent every Mother’s Day and her birthday for as long as any of her kids can remember. She loved that place. When asked if she wanted to go somewhere else, she always requested Cascone’s for her special day!

Grace was always a joy to be around, was always quick witted and lived life with a glass “half full” attitude. She never seemed to be down and met a friend everywhere she went and was looking to brighten someone else’s day. She loved and spoiled her grandchildren and would always share a story in her later years about the fun times she had watching the “boys” and all the shenanigans that they went through that we didn’t realize until years later.

Grace is preceded in death by her parents. Grace is survived by her former husband Frederick Philip Kramer of Prairie Village, KS, three younger brothers, William (Marcy) Smith of Canton, GA, Richard (Linda) Smith of Lancaster, SC and Edward (Joanne) Smith of Youngstown, Ohio, her three children, Kathleen Kramer, Lynn Kramer (Harold Hill) and Chris Kramer (Dianne) all from the Kansas City, MO area. Three grandsons Joshua, Andrew and Cameron and two great grandsons Sebastian and Theodore.

Memorial donations on behalf of Grace Kramer may be sent to Shepherd’s Center 5601 NE Antioch Rd, Gladstone, MO 64119.

A celebration of her life will be arranged at a later date for family and friends and will be posted here.