Taloyre was a one-of-a-kind woman with a one-of-a-kind name. She spent a lifetime helping people pronounce it. Growing up, Taloyre’s father was an officer with the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. The family moved frequently as he was transferred. Stops included Boone, IA, Chadron, NE, Arlington Heights, IL, Milwaukee where she graduated high school and finally Kansas City.
Taloyre’s early career included a stint as a hostess and book keeper at Biba’s Night Club before moving on to work in administration at EF Hutton and as an executive assistant in insurance.
In 1982 she went to work, announced she was pregnant and was fired. As the result, she was the government’s plaintiff in an early EEOC test case and concurrently filed her own wrongful discharge case. Both Taloyre and the EEOC prevailed winning against a prominent Kansas City business man and firm.
Later, Taloyre served as the Office Manager at The Lockton Companies before spending the bulk of her career in commercial real estate project management, first with Trammel Crow, then its successor CBRE. Clients included Bank of America, St. Paul Travelers, Microsoft, Embarq and others. In addition to domestic projects her work with CBRE took her to Canada, Columbia, India and the Philippines.
Perhaps her proudest accomplishment was raising her daughter Elizabeth while holding increasingly important professional positions. Taloyre made sure Elizabeth’s premier soccer and basketball practices, games and tournaments were all attended and were worked into her busy schedule.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Norma Jean Esshom; both her sisters, Teresa Esshom Sheldrake and Deborah Verville.
She is survived by her husband, Tom; daughter, Elizabeth Butler, her husband, Justin Ortiz; step children, Dan Mahoney (Jessica and step granddaughter, Mira) of Missoula, MT; Matthew Mahoney (Kristen) of Chicago, IL; Jane Mahoney of Madrid, Spain; grandchild, Ellis Ortiz and nephew, Benjamin Fisher.
Her visitation will be held 6 – 8pm, Monday, December 3rd at the McGilley & Hoge Chapel, 8024 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, KS. Her memorial service will be held 2pm, Tuesday, December 4th at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, 415 W. 13th Street, Kansas City, MO.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association- Heart of America Chapter, 3846 W. 75th Street, Prairie Village, KS 66208 or to Downtown Outreach, 1307 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106 (The St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry). Online condolences may be left at www.mcgilleyhoge.com.
