Marie "Jeannie" Jeanne Cayot

Marie Jeanne McCabe Cayot (Jeannie), 90, passed away peacefully on Oct. 27, 2026, after a long struggle with dementia and a short illness, surrounded by her family. Born September 3, 1936, in River Forest, Illinois, she was the daughter of Frank Mascari and Genevieve Morici Mascari. She was named for her favorite aunt, Marie Morici Broad, and was known to family and friends as “Jeannie.” She was preceded in death by her parents; her aunt Marie; her first husband, John Mitchell McCabe (Jack); her second husband, Charles Eugene Cayot, Jr. (Gene); and her second son, Francis Joseph McCabe (Frank). She is survived by her brother, Joseph Mascari (Marilyn) of Bradenton, Florida; her children, Michelle Marie McCabe Barnes (Phillip), John Michael McCabe (Mary), and Kevin Owen McCabe (Dena); and her grandchildren, Ashley Marie McCabe Ysaguirre (Johnny), Genevieve Kathleen McCabe, Griffin Patrick McCabe, and Christopher David Barnes.

A lifelong avid reader, Jeannie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Rosary College (Dominican) in River Forest, Illinois. She was teaching grade school in Chicago when she met Jack, whom she married in 1958. They built their first home in Park Ridge, Illinois, before moving to Briarcliff Manor, New York, in 1964 for Jack’s job. During their 10 years in New York, Jeannie was a busy homemaker and mother who also played an active role in the local school PTA and the Westchester County Women’s Auxiliary. She served as school district PTA president and as director of the Auxiliary’s county thrift store. While on the East Coast, the family made many memories on trips to New York City, Cape Cod, Boston, Canada, Chicago, and Green Bay.

In 1974, Jeannie and her family moved to Mission Hills, Kansas. After her divorce in 1988, she moved to Overland Park and worked for the American Heart Association. Mutual friends Dick and Marta Padula introduced Jeannie to Gene Cayot in 1995, and the couple married the following year. Over the next 20 years, the “Jeans” shared many adventures as they explored the United States, Canada, Panama, the Caribbean, and Europe, often with family. Even after Jeannie was diagnosed with early dementia in 2012, they continued their travels and remained active until Gene’s death in 2022.

A Catholic funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Mount Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home at 10507 Holmes Rd, Kansas City, MO 64131, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Olathe Hospice House in Jeannie’s memory.