Marie was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on August 21, 1926. While attending college in Springfield, Marie met her to-be-husband of 69 years, Woody, as he was preparing for overseas service as a navigator during World War II. Upon the conclusion of the war, Marie traveled to Missouri where she and Woody were married in 1946. In the following years, Marie worked to support the young couple while Woody completed engineering school. Marie later became the financial manager of Posh (later Creative) Travel, where she worked alongside her dear friend Sari Haenisch. During this time, Marie found travel, and throughout her life traveled the world several times over, visiting six of the seven continents.
In the years following, Marie became an avid supporter of the community and of the arts, becoming actively involved with the Johnson County Young Matrons, the Symphony League of Kansas City, the Lyric Opera Circle, and the Fireside Committee in support of the Kansas City Art Institute.
Despite her success in career, her years of travel, and her enduring familial support, Marie’s heart resided in the relationships that she carried throughout her life. Her friendships were vast and her connections to them enduring. She will be remembered most for her love of celebration and party. In her wake, Marie has imprinted a thirst for adventure and travel onto future generations. She has exhibited the importance of service to those around her, and, most importantly, her life has impressed the profound importance of relationships and friendship to the experiences we have in this world.
Marie is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Pam and Jim Cote, 3 grandchildren (Carrie, Jimmy, and Chris), and 6 great-grandchildren (Carter, Collins, Regan, Gage, Emma, and Ryan).
A visitation honoring Marie will be held at 3:00pm, Monday, December 16 at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer and Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The American Heart Association.
