Mary Lillian Readman

Mary Lillian Readman of Lenexa, Kansas passed away on Feb 2, 2023 when she finally succumbed to a battle with congestive heart failure she endured for the past few years.

She was preceded in death by her husband Edward Junior Readman and her sons, Edward Michael and Timothy Patrick Readman. She is survived by her sons William David (wife Lisa), Randy Wayne (wife Joleen), her daughter Mary Susan (husband Greg), and dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Mary was born on October 21, 1928 to John and Jessie Kissinger in Richmond, MO and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. Shortly before graduating from Rosedale High School, in 1946, she met her husband-to-be while on a date with another couple from the Olathe Air Station…. Except they were each dating the other in the foursome, but soon resolved the awkwardness of that initial meeting by dating each other, quickly falling in love, and after a little more than six months of dating, were married December 19, 1946 with a borrowed wedding ring. The very next day, 20-year-old, Ed reported for duty and Mary, only eighteen, went to go work at her job as well! But bonds of love and commitment sustained their marriage throughout the separations and demands of Navy life, far outlasting, Ed's twenty - year career in the Navy. They celebrated sixty-five years of marriage December 19, 2011 less than two months before Ed died. After the post-war shut down of Olathe Air Station, Ed was transferred to the Los Alamitos Naval Base in California. After surveying on-base housing, they decided to scrape together a $250 down payment and bought a house in Midway City, for $11,500.00… less than a few miles from Huntington Beach! Mary and Ed moved in with their three boys, and the family expanded with another boy. Two years after Ed's retirement from the Navy, the family was completed with the edition of their only girl. Beginning in 1968 Mary began her pursuit of a nursing career, completing her BSN, RN and had advanced to head nurse of Oncology at the re-known University of Irvine Hospital.

But after their youngest completed high school, they moved back to Kansas City area to be with family. Mary and Ed both had a passion for all types of crafts, often working in tandem, and Mary loved working with ceramics, porcelain, raised canaries, and relentlessly crocheted blankets of all sizes right up to just a few weeks before her death as a ministry at LBC to new moms. First in California, then in KC, Ed and Mary loved the tranquility of home away from home at the lake maintaining and frequenting their second home in the Ozarks for many years.

Mary sought out Grief Share at Lenexa Baptist after the death of her husband Ed and soon began coming to the Sunday School Class and later to the main service. She loved serving on the volunteer building team at LBC, coming to know all the staff and desiring to provide, food and hospitality for any sort of party for each and every chance she got. She constantly demonstrated her own brand of fierce loyalty to the congregation and staff of Lenexa Baptist Church, loving many members she became to know, especially her Sunday School class. Having come to the Lord late in life she was not afraid to ask question and dove deep into her lessons. She followed the Lord in obedience in believers' baptism at LBC and was moved to be baptized in the Jordan River on her trip to Israel with LBC to express identification with her Savior.

Her flamboyance and zest for life will be long remembered. You will be missed.

In Memoriam, at Mary's request, contributions can be submitted to the LBC general fund and Wounded Warriors Project.





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