Nina Green Kanaga

Nina Green Kanaga, 94, of Shawnee, KS, passed away peacefully on May 4, 2022. A funeral service will be held at 11:00am on July 22nd at Village Presbyterian Church at 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas. A reception will take place afterwards at the church. A private burial was held at Forest Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations to Village Presbyterian Church suggested.

She was born in her family’s home on August 20, 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was a third generation Kansas Citian. Her parents were George Fuller Green and Nina King Green. Nina was the youngest of four children.

Nina attended Bryant Grade School and graduated from Southwest High School. In 1944, she attended Bradford Junior College in Bradford, MA for two years on a scholarship. Nina then transferred to the University of Kansas and lived in the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. She was Chairman of the KU Student Union Association, won a Tau Sigma award in modern dance and was active in the PanHellenic Association. She loved music all of her life participating in acapella groups in high school and college. In the fall of 1946, she was elected Homecoming Queen for KU. She earned a BS in Psychology.

After college, Nina returned home and worked in the Education Department of the Nelson Atkins Museum. She learned all five lectures about the Museum and gave tours to scores of grade school children.

After retiring from the museum, Nina spent many years as a volunteer in numerous organizations to learn as much about her community as was possible. These included Children’s Relief Society of Children’s Mercy Hospital, United Way fund drives, Docent of the Nelson Museum, Crippled Children’s Nursery School, Mattie Rhodes Center, Western Missouri Mental Hospital, Rehabilitation Institute, Colonial Dames, Daughter’s of the American Revolution, Children’s Theater and Kappa Holiday House Tours.

Nina was happily married to Clinton Williamson Kanaga Jr. for 56 years. They especially enjoyed a variety of types of music, listening to Broadway musicals and dancing. They traveled to Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii. They raised three children, Stephen Kanaga, Carolyn Kupersmith and William Kanaga. Nina supported Clint in his profession and during his terms on the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners and in other civic activities.

Nina was extremely generous in giving her love, time, and energy to her family. Her devotion for her family continued when she and Clint welcomed having their daughter, Carolyn, move back in with them while dealing with mental and emotional challenges. She and Carolyn teamed up to provide the extra care that Clint needed while fighting dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

She poured herself into her four grandchildren, Ross, David, Sarah and Jonathan. They called her “Mimi”. She always looked forward to traveling to visit and spend time with Ross and David in California and Oregon. She also enjoyed babysitting and doing fun activities with Sarah and Jonathan. This included attending Sarah’s dancing performances and Jonathan’s sports and Boy Scouts events. Because of her love of games, the family has many fond memories of times playing Catch Phrase and Rumikub.

Nina’s faith was very important in her life that included being a member of Village Presbyterian for about 40 years. Even when she stopped driving she was blessed by having Al and Carole Pugsley bring her to worship. In her final years she would listen to the services over the phone and then eventually was able to watch the services on YouTube.

During the last five months of her life, Nina was greatly blessed by the genuine love and care given by Monica Holmes and the exceptional staff of The Cottages at Shawnee. Within a short period of time it truly became her “home.” We will be forever grateful that Nina was able to spend her final days in such a warm and loving environment.

Nina was preceded in death by her mother, father, her brother, John Green (died in 1943 in World War II), her sister, Helen Huddleston and her other sister, Mary Downey, her husband, Clinton Williamson Kanaga Jr. and her daughter, Carolyn Kanaga Kupersmith. She is survived by her son, Steve, her grandson Ross Kanaga, his wife Kate Hammarback, her great granddaughter, Sidse Louise Hammarback Kanaga (born in 2022) and her grandson, David Kanaga. She is also survived by her son, Bill Kanaga and his wife Joan Kanaga, and her granddaughter, Sarah Kanaga and her grandson, Jonathan Kanaga. She is also survived by her son-in-law, Steve Kupersmith and his daughter, Meghan Kupersmith and daughter-in-law, Perry Patterson.

Condolences may be left at www.mcgilley-hoge.com