Ms. Andrea Shelley McThomas

Andrea Shelley McThomas passed peacefully among family on August 14, 2025. Born in Kansas City, Missouri to Dorothy Beatrice Stapleton and John McThomas, Shelley

was the youngest of four daughters, all of whom preceded her in passing.

As a child, Shelley enjoyed reading, writing, and traveling. At the age of six, she took

the train cross-country from Kansas City to Los Angeles alone under the supervision of

train attendants, who watched over children traveling alone. It was the beginning of a

lifelong love of exploring, traveling, and undertaking new experiences.

Graduating as Valedictorian of Lincoln High School, class of 1968, Shelley left Kansas

City to attend Howard University, following in the footsteps of her older sisters, where

she earned a BS and a Master's in Urban Studies. Remaining in Washington, D.C. for

25 years, she married Jeffrey L. Jackson, and to their union, a son, Aaron O.

McThomas Jackson was born. In Washington, D.C., Shelley pursued a career in

communication and marketing. First working at WRC-TV/NBC, and the Mutual

Broadcasting System, where she designed marketing and publicity campaigns for those

stations' top-rated hosts Willard Scott and Larry King, respectively. From here, she

moved into public relations work at The Creative Connection, where she was Vice

President for nearly eight years. After 25 years in D.C., Shelley returned home to

Kansas City in 1992 and joined the Kansas City School District in its marketing and

recruitment department. Later being promoted to Director of Communications and

Spokesperson during the turbulent desegregation suit years, where she had a front row

seat to the Supreme Court hearings at the station.

After stints at the Niles Home for Children, Fleishman Hilliard, and Executive Director of

the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Shelley stepped out on her own and formed

The Beatrice Group, a marketing and communications firm handling women elected

officials, special events, and healthcare clients. She was later invited to apply for the

Director of Elections for the City of Kansas City, and in November 2007, assumed the

position, where she remained until retiring in 2016. She oversaw more than 45

elections, including the historic win of President Barack Obama.

In 2012, Shelley was selected as a leadership Fellow to Nepal and Kazakhstan. She

maintained friendships from those experiences to this day. After retiring, Shelley

continued her election work as an international election monitor for the US State

Department and the OSCE. This work took her to Azerbaijan, Belarus, North

Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Russia, and other Eastern European countries.

Additionally, as an international monitor for the Carter Center, Shelley served in Guyana

and Sierra Leone. She was also an election monitor in Ukraine twice, for the historic

presidential and parliamentary elections for Vladimir Zelensky.

After retiring, Shelley also indulged in writing short stories, taking tap dance lessons,

Zumba, and Tai Chi. An avid walker, she tried to get in 10,000 steps a day. With her

niece, Kamili, she enjoyed her second home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Atlantic

Beach, South Carolina- entertaining and relaxing with friends. She spent many winters

at her favorite Mexican beach town, Puerto Morales. Recently, with a Zimbabwean

girlfriend she would visit every winter, Shelley spent time in Ostuni, Italy, and Kilifi,

Kenya. Shelley was married twice and remained great friends with Jeff Jackson, with

whom she shares a son, and her first-grade sweetheart, Mark Bryant, to whom she was

married for 12 years.

She leaves a son Aaron, a host of nieces, nephews, family, and friends. Including her

five college roommates, whom she Zoomed with every month, as well as her AKA line

sisters from Alpha Chapter AKA Sorority Inc.

Shelley was a lifelong member of the NAACP, AKA, and a devoted advocate of Howard

University, where she thought every African American student should go. She was a

member of the Kansas City Alumni Club and donated regularly to her Alma Mater.

Shelley loved to dance and loved a good party! Her grandnieces, 20 to 30 years

younger, could never keep up with her during the family's renowned annual Kwanzaa

parties. She'd be the last one still dancing at six in the morning. Shelley was notably a

part of many organizations and sat on several boards; Card-carrying member of the

Democratic Party, D.C. Performing Arts Society, DC Lung Association Board, Big

Brothers/Big Sisters of D.C., KC Friends of Alvin Ailey, Global Ties, Kansas City Board

MO Election Officials. Her memberships include, Freedom Inc., Missouri Democratic

Party, KCU Radio, WPFW Radio (formerly WPC), Mtume Foundation, KC Chapter of

the Link, Beta Omega Chapter, AKA.

Funeral services Friday August 22, at 10:00am at St. Monica Catholic Church. Interment Maple Hill Cemetery. Visitation 9:00am-10:00am at the church.

Arrangements entrusted to Watkins Heritage Chapel. Condolences may be shared on our website. Services will be lived streamed: https://youtube.com/live/091U8cXwk8w?feature=share