Albert Philip Mauro Sr.

Al Mauro passed away on November 17th, 2022, surrounded by family. He lived 93 full years with love for his family, service to his community, and appreciation for a strong Italian opera tenor, a good ham sandwich, and stylish caps.

Born in 1929 to first generation Italian immigrants in New Haven, CT, Al moved to Kansas City in 1952 after a tour in the U.S. Army, and spent 70 years making the city a better place. He wore many hats. As an Assistant City Manager under L.P. Cookingham, he was responsible for the integration and consolidation of the separate and decidedly unequal Black and White General Hospitals in 1958. Al continued to set the direction for the General Hospital and then helped lead the planning for Hospital Hill, including the development of the UMKC Medical School and Truman Medical Center, where he worked until 1982. He was also dedicated to revitalizing downtown Kansas City. In 1977, he was critical in the effort to develop the current Kansas City Marriott Downtown hotel to replace a blighted stretch of 12th Street. Al later chaired The Downtown Council when our city center was at its lowest point, where he helped set a vision for downtown that has become a vibrant reality. He was persistent, scrappy and tireless in doing what was right for the city. From 1982-1995, he worked as an executive at Kansas City Southern Industries. In Al’s retirement, he ran for and was elected President of the Kansas City School Board in 2000 in an attempt to bring good governance to an ungovernable board.

Al put his stamp on many other organizations too. He helped lead the effort to build the new Zoo in 1992 and transitioned it from city management to the Friends of the Zoo, where it has prospered. He served key roles leading and fundraising with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, the Genesis School, The Folly Theater, The Eye Foundation of Kansas City, Swope Ridge Geriatric Center, American Red Cross, Pets for Life, Starlight Theatre, Carolyn Benton Cockefair Lecture Chair at UMKC, KC Shepherd’s Center, Diastole and Rockhurst University. His fundraising motto was “You won’t get a million bucks if you don’t ask for a million bucks,” and, as a result, he raised millions and millions of dollars from many of Kansas City’s most generous citizens. They contributed because they trusted Al and the projects he believed in.

Al won a lot of different awards, but he would be embarrassed to have them listed here (he would say we’ve gone on too long already) and would have thanked all the others who helped make his work possible. It is enough to say that Al had his hands on many of the key issues that have made Kansas City a better place.

Al was married to Sandra (Featherstone) for almost 61 years. Together, they planted many gardens, lovingly raised 3 children and many dogs, and fought for Democratic values. He had three children: Rachel Mauro (Vance Trimble) of New York City; Maria Mauro, who predeceased him; and Albert Jr. (Molly Dwyer) of Kansas City. As “Pappy”, he adored and spoiled his granddaughters, Sophia Mauro of Washington, D.C. and Francesca Mauro of Vigo, Spain, taking them to countless operas, Royals games, Winsteads dinners, and Costco sample trips and bragging about their accomplishments. He had a beloved surviving niece, Mary Jo Carter (Steve) of Wallingford, CT. He outlived his brothers John and Alex and younger sister Philomena. We are grateful to the amazing, caring staff at St. Luke’s Hospice House and his caregivers at home, Jeri and Kim. He had great wit, a mischievous twinkle, and an unerring sense of doing what is right and doing it well. Al’s last trip out of the house was to go vote and he would want us to finish by saying he really did not like the former guy, who he believed was “a disgrace.”

A celebration of his life will be planned for the spring with details to come. In lieu of flowers, please share Al’s love of the animals at the Kansas City Zoo and make a donation in his honor at www.kansascityzoo.org/form/memorial-gift or send a check for “Friends of the Zoo Kansas City” to: Al Mauro Sr. Memorial Fund, Kansas City Zoo, 6800 Zoo Dr, Kansas City, MO 64132.