Delores Elaine "Lorie" Wartick

On Saturday, August 24, we lost our beloved mother and grandmother, Delores "Lorie" Elaine Wartick. She was smart and sassy, tiny but tough, witty, warm, and truly wonderful. She left us a bounty of treasured memories, and a legacy of love and laughter.
She departed this world peacefully in Riverside, Missouri, very near where she grew up, one of her very favorite places, North Kansas City ("Northtown" to the natives.) She was born Delores Stine in 1945, to parents Fred ("Bud") and Hazel, and big sister Carole. One of her neighborhood friends struggled to pronounce her name, so gave her the moniker "Lorie." It stuck with her all her life. She grew up in a modest but happy home on 21 Street, graduating from NKC High in 1963. (Her hornet pride always ran deep, and she'd break out that fight song every chance she got!) She met her husband-to-be Gary on a blind date – set up by her future sister-in-law – and they were married in short order, in 1966.
They created a beautiful family with daughters Amy (1975) and Sarah (1978) and myriad dogs of all shapes and sizes. Lorie never met a dog she didn't love. She didn't live a day without at least one furry friend in her life. A wet nose and a wagging tail always made her smile.
Delores had a strong work ethic, holding a variety of secretarial jobs, but work did not define her. It was through her devotion to family and community that she contributed the most. She was very active in her sorority, Beta Sigma Phi, making friends there that would last her lifetime. She was a room mother, on the PTA and taught Sunday School. She was the very proud leader of Girl Scout Troops 214 and 1120. She truly delighted in opening her home to those she loved. Amy and Sarah's friends always had a "second home" there. Every Christmas Eve she hosted all the family, friends and neighbors she could think to invite, always a big party. The Wartick home was a place of peace, love and fun.
She was also a grandma; the saucy, silly kind of grandma who wasn't afraid to run and play and jump on the trampoline with her grandkids, and would sneak them candy with a wink. She was very close to Sarah's kids Molly and Nick, nurturing them as closely as she did her own children. Her second round of grandchildren – Amy's kids Emmett and Nora – came a little later and were no less cherished.
Lorie taught her daughters and grandchildren to find pleasure in the simplest things, and to find God in all things. She was patient, and handed out her bits of wisdom like precious gems. She loved to write and always used language artfully. She was generous and kind. And so very funny! She often laughed until she cried. She was the first to admit she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but that never stop her from singing. She faced life with joyful exuberance.
Lorie is predeceased by her father Frederick Stine, her mother Hazel (Wilson) Stine, and her sister Carole (Stine) Cooney. She was also preceded in death by her one true love, Gary Allen Wartick, in 2020.
She is survived by her daughters Amy Schaefer and Sarah Green, son-in-law Aaron Schaefer, and grandchildren Molly, Nicholas, Emmett and Nora. She is also survived by her last dog, Leah.