Norene (O'Connor) McIntosh

On June 12, 2018, Norene McIntosh was reunited with her husband, Dr. Donald McIntosh, who has been waiting for her in heaven since 2004. Eighty-nine years young, she died with dignity and grace after battling Parkinson’s disease for more than 10 years.

Norene was born on March 12, 1929, to Loretta and John O’Connor in Parsons, KS. She was the youngest of five children – the only girl. She graduated from St. Mary’s Academy of Leavenworth in 1947 and received her Bachelor’s in Philosophy in 1951 from Marquette University, which she attended with her three brothers while brother Paul was teaching at Marquette High School. She met the love of her life, Don McIntosh, there through her brother Bob.

Norene and Don married on July 3, 1954. They spent most of their lives together in Kansas City, where they raised their three children. She was active in the Kansas City chapter of St. Francis de Sales Association and at the Rockhurst Sale-O-Rama. Later in life, she taught a course for job seekers at Springfield Community College after an in-depth summer program with Richard Bowles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?

Norene was a wonderful mother, homemaker, friend, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother. Family and faith meant everything to her. She was sweet and refined, but also a warrior, instigator, pioneer, world-traveler, rabble-rouser, faith-builder, adventure-seeker and visionary. She was ahead of her time, taking workshops on the Alexander Technique well into her 70s, and seeking all-natural alternatives in food, yoga and Tai Chi. She was a great dancer – priding herself particularly on her jitterbug – and loved singing show tunes around the house. Irish to the core, she was an expert storyteller. One of her favorite holidays was April 1, when she found sneaky and novel ways to trick her children to her delight (not necessarily to theirs).

She was preceded in death by her husband Don and four brothers, Fr. J.P. [Paul] O’Connor, S.J., Don O’Connor, Joseph O’Connor, and Robert (Bob) O’Connor.

Her memory will be forever treasured by son Bruce McIntosh and his wife Michelle of Beaverton, OR; daughter Mikail and her husband Philip Doty of Austin, TX; daughter Sharon McIntosh and her husband Larry Jabbonsky of Norwalk, CT; four grandchildren (Ian, Kevin, Kathleen and Anna); and great-granddaughter Maggie.

Norene’s rich life will be celebrated on July 6, 2018, during a gathering at 10 a.m. followed by a Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas More Church on Holmes Road in Kansas City. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a personal charity, tell a great family story or just be kind to others.