Mary Jo Kingsbury

Mary Jo Kingsbury was born on November 1, 1927 and went to heaven on February 9, 2016. Born in Louisville, KY to Louise and John Mason, she moved to Kansas City, MO as a young teenager. She married her high school sweetheart, Richard Kingsbury, after he returned from the war and they were happily married 69 years. They met at Central High School, but she returned home to Kentucky at age 16 when her father died. They visited each other and wrote long love letters while he was overseas, which developed into lasting love. She gladly entertained wounded soldiers during the war playing the piano with the USO, then used her talents again years later playing for a local dance school so she could afford dance lessons for her children. She studied at the Conservatory Of Music-UMKC under well-known pianist, George Salisbury, and honed her jazz skills. During the five years she lived at assisted living, she was featured several times and accompanied sing-a-longs.

She served as Director of Food Service and Student Housing for St. Paul’s School of Theology for 25 years. She made many lifelong friends at Linwood Methodist Church then later attended Broadway Methodist Church, later called Keystone, for many years. When her husband became a minister, as well as a business owner of R. R. Kingsbury Vacuum Cleaner Co., she took on many responsibilities as a minister’s wife as he served several area churches.

Mary Jo and Richard always enjoyed their bridge club from Linwood and once retired, enjoyed their weekly trips to the casino for people watching and gaming. They loved to travel and inspired a sense of adventure and desire to see the country in her children with many wonderful vacations. Once retired, they were able to “winter” in Las Vegas, NV several years in an apartment as well as take great trips to Colorado and Banff, Canada. Most of all, she loved being with her family and organized family birthday and holiday parties so everyone would stay close. You could always count on her for a positive word of encouragement or to help you through a tough time. She was unselfish and kind to everyone, and was a good woman of faith with a firm belief in God.

Mary Jo was preceded in death by both parents, sister, Anne Ratterman, brother, John Mason, and grandsons, Ryan Joseph Kingsbury and Travis Long. Survivors include her husband, R. Richard Kingsbury, children Rick Kingsbury and Cheryl Long, grandchildren Rob Kingsbury, Jennifer Nading, Matthew Kingsbury, Kathryn Kingsbury, Brandon Long, and Elizabeth Thomas-Horn, and seven great grandchildren. She will be loved and missed forever.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Saturday, February 20th, at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO, followed by burial in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.