Annabel Fisher Nutter

Annabel left us feeling that she had had everything she ever wanted or needed in her life: wonderful parents, a loving husband, children and grandchildren, and a legion of loyal friends (both two-legged and four).

Annabel was born May 21, 1931, in Kansas City to Elmo and Annabel Fisher.

She was one of 21 girls in her graduating class at the old Barstow school, where-despite her small stature-she excelled in basketball and field hockey and was a 2-time captain of the baseball team. In June of 1954 she married a tall red-headed boy named James B. Nutter, who was then trying his hand in the mortgage business.

With Jim, she visited and loved the people, food and wine of Paris and London, Florence and Rome, Hawaii, New York, Chicago Florida and San Francisco, and saw many of her favorite entertainers, like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton and Elvis Presley from seats by the stage in Las Vegas. She spent many relaxing and enjoyable hours with friends and family on annual trips to the beach at Del Coronado in California.

Annabel’s was a happy and contented life, from growing up in Brookside with her parents, who owned and operated a pair of popular local businesses, the Kansas City Laundry Service Company and Acme Dry Cleaners. She had fond memories of walking to the movies, pizza shops and record stores with her friends from Bryant and Barstow schools, kicking up her heels at dances and fraternity parties and children’s sleepovers at the modest, comfortable home on 66th Street that she loved so much and where she and Jim Sr. lived for more than 50 years.

Annabel and Jim were blessed with two children: Nancy, who was born in 1955, and excelled in life before passing away in 2004, after a long battle with cancer; and Jim, Jr.

Annabel was pre-deceased by her parents, Elmo and Annabel Fisher, daughter, Nancy Nutter Moore, and husband, Jim, Sr. (2017). She is survived by her son, Jim, Jr., and grandchildren Russ Moore, Gabe, Reece and Kenedy Nutter.

Kind-hearted Annabel, like her late daughter, Nancy, loved animals, and helped fund many improvements to the facilities and care at Wayside Waifs. Her own “waifs”-Patsy, Ellie May, Billy, Barney, Lucy, Sweet Molly and others-loved her as much as she did them. Annabel also gave many hours of her time and talent to The Vanderslice Committee’s annual homes tour to benefit the Kansas City Art Institute. She and Jim supported too many charitable and social causes to list, but among her favorites were Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Hospital, Saint Luke’s Hospital, The Vanderslice Committee, The Kansas City Art Institute and The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Annabel and Jim were longtime supporters and members of the Children’s Circle of Care at Children’s Mercy Hospital. In memory of their beloved daughter, Nancy, Annabel and Jim created the Nancy Nutter Moore Garden at Children’s Mercy Hospital and commissioned the noted artist Tom Corbin to create a loveable, lifelike and eminently pet-able sculpture of a kindly dog to grace the garden and delight the young patients at Children’s Mercy. With her family, she helped make the hospital’s Sybil Silkwood Nutter Park (named after her mother-in-law), with its “Big” piano and other play equipment, possible.

Annabel was a friend to everyone she ever met, and will be very much missed by all who knew her. She cherished the many friends that loved and supported her throughout her life, including Mary Lou Battmer, Linda Johntz, Becky Selzer, Angel Salcedo; along with childhood friends now gone Bucky Kessinger and Mayor Richard Berkley.

Visitation will be held at McGilley State Line Chapel on Monday, May 18th from 6:00- 8:00 PM. Services for Annabel will be held at the Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, MO 64113, on Tuesday May 19th at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest donations in Annabel’s memory to Children’s Mercy Hospital or Wayside Waifs. Arrangements by McGilley State Line Chapel.