Mary Ann (Haas) Gardner

Mary Ann (Haas) Gardner, 80, passed away on September 23, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. Born on September 10, 1945, in Dubuque, Iowa, she lived a life devoted to faith, family, and service.

Mary Ann earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching and Home Economics from Mount Mercy College. Her passion for education and nurturing others led her to a career as a schoolteacher, but beyond the classroom, she extended her gifts into every corner of her life—serving as a den mother for Cub Scouts, Scout advisor to multiple Eagle Scouts, (including both her children and her oldest grandson,) teaching CCD classes at church, and participating in Catholic spiritual communities with unwavering dedication.

A devout Catholic, Mary Ann was deeply involved in religious outreach. She led The Living Rosary email group and formed The Marian Mantle apostolate, which she also led. These are ministries that reflected her lifelong commitment to prayer and support for others. Her faith was not only personal but also profoundly communal; she found joy in helping others through their spiritual journeys.

Mary Ann was a devoted wife to Robert John Gardner for 55 years and a loving mother to Michael Arnold Gardner and James Robert Gardner. Her role as grandmother brought her immense pride and happiness; she cherished time spent with her grandchildren: Robert Thomas Gardner, James Michael Gardner, and Mary Margaret Gardner. She also shared a close bond with her sisters Marilyn Louise Lawrence and Maureen Marie Rauch. Always referring to them as her daughters, she deeply appreciated the love and friendship she shared with her daughters-in-law Susan Marie (Hall) and Mackenzie Jean (Rodriguez).

Preceded in death by parents Arnold Frank Haas and Clementine Mary “Toots” (Theisen) Haas, as well as her sister Margaret Welter, nieces Denise Hugh, Diane Lawrence, Audrey Gardner, Brandi Sammons, and nephew Jason Horn—Mary Ann held their memories in her heart her whole life.

Throughout her life—as a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, writer, and faithful devotee to God and the Blessed Mother—Mary Ann embodied compassion and purpose. Her legacy is one of service to others through both action and prayer.

May her memory bring comfort to those who knew and loved her. A Visitation will be held on September 30, 2025, from 06:30 PM to 08:30 PM at Penwell-Gabel (14275 S. Black Bob Rd., Olathe, KS 66062.) There will be a rosary said at 6pm, preceding the visitation. A Funeral Mass will be held on October 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Prince of Peace Catholic Church (16000 W 143rd St, Olathe, KS, 66062.) Gravesite Service after mass at 11:30 AM at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery - Rosary Garden (8300 Quivira Rd, Lenexa, KS 66215.)