KAY LYNNE MYERS

1941 - 2016

Kay Lynne Myers, a social welfare director who innovated programs for reStart, a homeless shelter, and later became the Director of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus, died on Monday, July 25, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri, North of complications from Alzheimer's. There will be a visitation at 9 a.m. and a memorial service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at North Cross United Methodist Church, 1321 NE Vivion Road, Kansas City, MO 64118. Born Kay Lynne Mekemson in Fort Madison, Iowa on December 20, 1941. She attended Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University), Kirksville, Missouri and graduated in 1964 with a BS degree in elementary education. In her senior year at Northeast Missouri State University she was President of the Delta Zeta Sorority. She married Charles Myers on December 27, 1964 and they have two children, Charles Jason Myers and Christopher Earl Myers. Upon graduation from college she and her husband moved to the Kansas City metropolitan area where they have lived from 1964 until today. Kay Lynne taught fourth grade for four years and fifth grade for three years at Nashua Elementary School which is part of the North Kansas City School District from 1964-1970. After her tenure at Nashua Elementary and the birth of her first son, Kay Lynne embarked on what would become a long history of community service in helping and assisting others by serving on the Executive Board of the Kansas City Association of Mental Health during the 1970's and was involved in the early planning stages for the creation of the Tri-County Community Health Center at North Kansas City Hospital, assisting in the application process for federal community healthcare construction funding. The center opened in 1973. In 1974, Kay Lynne became a member of the Board of Directors of the Visiting Nurses Association where she served until 1980. For the next two decades, Kay Lynne's volunteer advocacy advanced a wealth of community organizations including the Social Work Administrators in Health Care Coalition, the Missouri Association of Social Welfare (Missouri-Kansas Chapter), the Women's Leadership Institute (and went through the Kansas City Tomorrow program), the Heart of America United Way where she served on the Kansas City Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Committee; the Junior Women 's Philharmonic Association-Lollipop Concert; the Philharmonic Guild North; Children's Mercy Hospital including the preschool for hearing impaired, a member of the Citizens Association and the Missouri Association of Social Welfare (Missouri-Kansas Chapter), and a member of the banquet committee for the opening of the current airport. With a flair for planning and execution of social programs, she earned a Masters degree in January of 1989 from the University of Kansas School of Social welfare and went on to become the Associate Director at reStart, a shelter for the homeless in Kansas City where for 9 years was instrumental in designing programs that helped countless people get back on their feet. Through her work at reStart, the University of Kansas awarded her with the Outstanding Social Work Alumnus Award in 1993 for valuable service to the enforcement of social work and social welfare in the community. Immediately following her tenure at reStart, Kay Lynne became the Program Director of the Schools of Professional Education Programs of the University of Kansas School Of Social Welfare from 1996 to 1999 and commencing in 2000 Director of the Master's in Social Welfare Programs at the Edwards campus until her retirement in 2011. She was also a long time member of the School's Advisory Board. Despite a full work schedule with reStart and the University of Kansas, Kay Lynne maintained a full schedule of community volunteerism where she received multiple awards, appointments and honors including: a delegate as a NGO/UMCOR to the United Nations World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, Denmark in March 1995; Board of Directors of Synergy Services and was board chair in 1996- 1997; The AR Townsend Award for Civic Service from Townsend Communications in 1998; Received the Phoenix Community Achievement Award in 2001 from the Tri County Mental Health Association; The Harvest Ball Committee where she evaluated the applications for awards, later serving as Chair in 2002; Appointment to the Missouri Children's Trust Fund (CTF) Board of Directors by Governor Mel Carnahan in April 1999 and served for ten years.; CTF Board Chair elect from 2001 to 2003 and then served as Chair of the CTF Board 2005 where much growth of the organization was accomplished under her leadership when she was instrumental and successful in guiding CTF through a transition period when CTF was changing Executive Directors; Member of the Clay Platte Ray Mental Health Levy Board from 2003 to 2013; Honored by the members of the Missouri House of Representatives in 2005, ninety-third General Assembly, to applaud her for the stellar leadership, important contributions, and outstanding achievements associated with Kay Lynne Myers as a member and Chair of the Missouri Children's trust fund Board; Member of PEO Chapter JK. Also of note, Kay Lynne was active in the North Cross United Methodist Church serving as Chair of the Administrative Board and for eight (8) years working with the confirmation class at North Cross United Methodist Church and Kay Lynne developed a confirmation curriculum that is still being used today by Dr. Nanette Roberts. Kay Lynne Myers is survived by her husband, Charles F. Myers, her two sons, Charles Jason Myers, of Brooklyn, New York and Christopher Earl Myers, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and her brother, Robert Mekemson and wife Laura of Exeter, California and brother Dennis Mekemson and wife Sheryl Schrepfer of Libertyville, Illinois. The family requests that in lieu of flowers that contributions be made to the Kay Lynne Myers Memorial Fund at North Cross United Methodist Church. C