Mary "Dorothy" Alice Nicholson, age 88, of Wichita, Kansas passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, November 3, 2024. She was born August 20, 1936 in Coldwater, Kansas to William Henry Kennedy and Louisa Helen McMillen.
She married Billie Leon Evans on January 4, 1952 and they had 4 children together. She married Alfred Lee Nicholson on December 1, 1972.
At the age of 15, Dorothy withdrew from school, however in 1975 she continued her education and received her GED. In 1996, she obtained her associates degree in accounting. Throughout her lifetime she worked as a homemaker, cook, CNA, manufacturing at Copeland and accounting assistant at NCR Credit Union.
Dorothy loved to dance and sing, play card games, wahoo, playing darts, league and tournaments, listening to the live music, helping host events, forming lifelong relationships, but most of all, she loved spending time with family and friends. In her endeavors, she was also a founding members of WDA (Wichita Darting Association) and was a member and served on the board for Eagles Lodge Auxiliary #3251.
She is preceded in death by her parents, William and Louisa Kennedy; her brother, Harold Kennedy; her sister, Thelma Retzlaff; her great-grandchild Emma Kimmel; her first husband, Billie Evans; second husband, Alfred Nicholson; her daughter, Marquita Evans (infant); and son-in-law, Danny Smysor.
Dorothy is survived by her sisters, Betty Morrow of Albuquerque and Sarah Schmidt of Greensburg; her sister-in-law, Betty Joan Gandy of Wellington; her children: Marilyn (Darrell) Cox of Udall, Carolyn Smysor and Sandy Geer of Mulvane, and Robert Geer of Wichita; grandchildren: Lloyd (Lori) Cox of Pleasanton, Kristan (Cory) Colvin of Mulvane, David Smysor of Mulvane, Marianne (Geoff) Hunerdosse of Lenexa, Marsha Geer of Derby, and Melissa Brandt (Leighton Summers) of Derby; great-grandchildren: Jessica Cox of Wyoming, Taryn, Cody, Barrett and Adelaide Cox of Pleasanton, Gavin and Kennedy Hunerdosse of Lenexa, Tryston Smysor of Mulvane, Korbin Holmes, Andrew Brandt and Baileigh Summers of Derby and Damien Geer of Derby; along with many nieces and nephews.
A visitation for Mary will be held Friday, November 8, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Resthaven Mortuary, 11800 West Highway 54, Wichita, KS 67209. A funeral service will occur Saturday, November 9, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Resthaven Mortuary with a graveside service immediately to follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory.
Contributions in Mary's memory may be made to Special Olympics, https://www.specialolympics.org/; and Kansas Humane Society, https://kshumane.org.
