Sharon Adair Cinelli

Sharon was born on September 23, 1934 in Kansas City, MO to Carroll and Dorothy (Kasper) Adair and grew up as the couple’s only child. She was the valedictorian of her East High School class of 1952. Sharon earned a BA in Education from University of Missouri – Columbia in 1956 and went on to complete an MA in Education from Central Missouri State University. Sharon taught kindergarten for more than 34 years, most notably at Red Bridge Elementary in the Center School District.

Sharon married Al Cinelli on June 16, 1989, and shortly thereafter, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Over more than two years, with a never-ending positive attitude and Al always by her side, she won her battle against cancer, and it changed her life.

As a cancer survivor, Sharon spent the next 30+ years creating a life of her own making. While still in the midst of her fight against cancer, she retired from teaching, started a daily exercise routine that she maintained until the last year of her life, and she became a devout Catholic, bringing Al back to the church in the process. She also began molding Al’s family into an incredibly tightknit group that spanned three generations; she made his family, her family. Socially, Sharon’s grew many deep friendships, built over competitive, but always fun, bridge games, or because of a mutual love for theater and the arts. Sharon and Al were also frequent attendees at Theater League, Broadway Across America and New Dinner Theatre productions.

When she and Al met, she quickly discovered she shared his love of travel. Together, the two traversed the world, taking annual vacation-tours across Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and more. When asked, Sharon would share stories of her most favorite trip, to the Holy Land and Rome in 2000 which was led by four Catholic Priests. Closer to home, the two enjoyed spending weeks at a time at their vacation home on South Padre Island, TX. Padre was also where the family gathered for most of their biennial family reunions. These reunions on the beaches of Texas were Sharon’s idea, and they were instrumental in forging deep connections within her family.

Always an organized soul, Sharon had a long history of holding leadership positions in volunteer organizations. While at Mizzou, she was the president of her sorority, Delta Gamma. She met Al through the Kansas City singles group, “Fine Arts Singles”; even as they dated seriously, she became the group’s president. When the group members all found themselves married (including her and Al), she helped start the group, “Fine Arts Alumni,” which continues to this day. For more than 20 years, Sharon gave back to other cancer patients by volunteering at the Richard & Annette Bloch Family Foundation Cancer Hotline.

In quieter moments on most afternoons, Sharon loved to curl up with her book of the week and a cup of tea. While not a lifelong voracious reader, you would have never known otherwise: after her retirement from teaching, she averaged at least one book per week (and at least one cup of tea per afternoon!), and she always had another book on tap and an opinion on the one she just finished.

Sharon was preceded in death by her mother and father, Dorothy and Carroll Adair. She is survived by her husband Al, and their family that includes son, Al (and Alyson Buckman); daughter, Cheryl Cinelli-Palermo (and Ron Palermo); son, John (and Karen); and daughter, Janet Cinelli (and Eric Ryan). She also leaves behind five Cinelli grandchildren, Jack (and Caley), Benjamin, Patrick, Matthew and Samantha, her cousin, Cathie Ramsey (Bob), her brother in law, Francis Cinelli and a host of Cinelli nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the many wonderful friends who were so generous with their visits during the last weeks of Sharon’s illness. These times with friends were not only so valuable to Sharon, they also meant the world to her family.

A Drive-thru Visitation will be held from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Friday, July 31 at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home (south Portico), 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00am on Saturday, August 1 at Church of the Nativity, 3800 West 119th Street, Leawood, KS. Entombment will follow in Mount Moriah Cemetery.

In the summer of 2021, her family will invite friends from near and far to gather in Kansas City for a celebration of her life. Later in the summer of 2021, her family will gather more privately on South Padre Island, TX to share a glass of wine in her honor.

If you would like to make a donation in her name, the family would like to suggest the following organizations, Delta Gamma Foundation, Nativity Church, University of Missouri – Columbia School of Education, or Richard & Annette Bloch Family Foundation.