Kathleen R Mallon

Kathleen R. (Murphy) Mallon passed away August 17, 2016 in the peace and comfort of her home in Kansas City, KS. She is survived by her siblings Anita Murphy, Jeanne Murphy, and Jerome Murphy; her daughters Dr. Michaela Mallon, Martha DeGraw, Eileen Heble, and Anita Kennedy; and eight grandchildren.

Born February 7, 1942 in St. Louis to John and Martha (Skroch) Murphy, Katie lived most of her life in the Kansas City area. She graduated from Redemptorist High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from St. Mary’s College in Leavenworth, KS. Shortly after her graduation in 1963, she married George Edward Mallon and taught 5th grade at Holy Name School in Topeka, KS. After George graduated from Washburn Law School in 1966, the family moved to Kansas City, KS. The house on the hill above Argentine became their home in 1970.

Katie loved working with children, and shared her artistic and organizational skills by leading a Campfire Girls troop and teaching CCD classes at St. John the Evangelist Church. She joined the Junior League of Kansas City, KS in 1977, which led her to a variety of service positions, most notably as the Kansas Action for Children (KAC) Project Chair. Katie continued to work with KAC for 15 years, eventually serving as President and interim Executive Director, promoting programs including the Adolescent Pregnancy Child Watch Project, the Wyandotte County Coalition for School Based Health Centers, and the Metropolitan Child Abuse Advisory Council.

Katie and George were avid golfers and enjoyed bowling and snow skiing. They both served as lay ministers and cantors at St. John’s for many years. Katie was President of the Parish Council from 1982 to 1984 and was proud of the significant renovations completed during that time. Coursework at Rockhurst College enabled Katie to support George in his law offices by working as a paralegal, assisting with bookkeeping and tax preparation.

Arts and crafts were Katie’s lifelong passion. She loved working with her hands and kept busy with sewing, quilting, knitting, painting, stamp collecting and home improvement projects. Katie’s favorite activity of all though, was travelling the world visiting famous museums and archeological sites. She would intensely research each destination even going so far as to enroll in college courses on her favorite artists, styles and iconography.

A memorial service in Katie’s honor will take place on Friday, September 23, 2016 at McGilley’s Midtown Chapel, 20 West Linwood Blvd, Kansas City MO 64111. Visitation will be from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., followed by a memorial service. Afterward, Katie will be buried next to George, her parents, and her brother John Peter Murphy at Union Cemetery, 227 E. 28th Terrace. Friends and family are invited to Katie’s house in Argentine in the afternoon for a celebration of her life and talents. Donations are requested KC Hospice in Katie's memory.