Mary Lynne Spradley

1940 - 2023

Mary Lynne Spradley

August 3, 1940 - November 21, 2023

Prairie Village, Kansas - Mary Lynne Spradley, Prairie Village, Kansas, previously a resident of Kansas City, Missouri for fifty-one years, died early Tuesday Morning, November 21, 2023 at Kansas University Health System's Main Hospital. She was admitted there Saturday, November 18, following an attack of pancreatitis after just recovering from covid three days earlier. Funeral services will be at 3:00 p. m. Friday, December 1, 2023, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, where Mary had been a member since moving to Kansas City in 1967, serving on the church vestry, Trinity Guild and as a Community of Hope visitor to those members unable to attend church services.

Mary was born August 3, 1940, in Carthage, Missouri to Roy E. Mayes and Ernestine L. Mayes. Because her father was an owner and President of Carthage Marble Corporation, Mary was privileged to travel throughout countries in Europe with her parents, during summers while her father was reviewing quarries and their varieties of marble to import to Carthage for sawing, finishing and sale for exteriors and interiors of commercial building and other projects utilizing marble and granite.

Mary attended Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962, majoring in English Literature. She then was employed by John Hancock Life Insurance Company in Boston, Massachusetts, entering its management training program. Mary was subsequently lured away from Boston and the insurance industry by a young Marine officer at Quantico, Virginia whom she had met in Carthage, Missouri while he was a lifeguard at the municipal pool there in 1955. She married him, becoming Mrs. Ronald C. Spradley, on December 29, 1962. That began a life of adventure as a newlywed, to follow him to Okinawa, Japan and the Philippines while Ron served for 13 months as a Marine officer in the far east. Her travel as a military wife having her own passport and visa, but no military base housing, led to making good friendships with Army, Air Force and Navy wives renting houses near the house she and Ron rented, while those wives and new friends awaited base housing for their husbands' longer overseas tours of duty.

In addition to her church volunteer activities, Mary was a volunteer at St. Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, including service on the Executive Board of St. Luke's Hospital Auxiliary, and as President of the Auxiliary in 2010 and 2011 and St. Luke's Hospital Foundation Board member. She also enjoyed the hospital's Library Cart volunteer duty. Her favorite greeting when she would knock on a patient's room door and was invited in, was "I'm not here to poke you or stick you or take your temperature; I'm just going to give you a book or magazine to read, if you'd like one."

Mary was also active in the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri in her younger years. This led her into community service at the city level and she was appointed by then Circuit Judge Paul Vardeman to a special Criminal Justice Committee to explore possible solutions to crime and correctional facility issues in Kansas City. She was asked to be one of a delegation of committee members to travel to Houston, Texas to meet with City law and correctional officials there to discuss approaches they had found effective. Mary was also a member of the Admissions Council of UMKC Medical School, 1984-1994, Chairman of the Truman (Medical Center) Ball; and, a Member and past President of Children's Relief Association.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her older brother, Roy E. Mayes, Jr., who died in Florida on February 7, 2022. Mary is survived by her husband, Ron, daughters Jennifer Jones and Laura Redmond, five grandchildren: Clark Jones, his wife Ellie and their daughter Frances Lynne, Mary's only great-grandchild, of Kansas City; Lyndsey Allison Jones and Christopher Ryan Jones of Austin, Texas; and Hunter Michael Redmond and Henry Mayes Redmond of Kansas City. She is also survived by her two nephews, Richard E. Mayes of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina and John S. Mayes of Austin, Texas.

Mary spent her last two days in the hospital with her two loving daughters, Jennifer Jones and Laura Redmond, husband Ron Spradley and grandsons Hunter and Henry Redmond, keeping her engaged and happy. Mary was a good friend to many, with her engaging, smiling and warm personality. She spread a lot of sunshine in the world throughout her lifetime.

The family suggests contributions to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Missouri or the St. Luke's Hospital Auxiliary in Mary's memory.