No Services for Katherine Mary Cecil, 84, Lawrence, are planned at this time.
She died Tuesday, August 21, 2018, at Brandon Woods at Alvamar.
Author: RumseyYost
Antone E. (Tony) Hackett
Antone (Tony) (Buddy) E. Hackett, 67, of Baldwin City, Kansas, passed away suddenly on August 15 in Leadville, Colorado, while vacationing in a place he truly loved.
Tony was born on September 8, 1950, Pomona, Kansas, to Milton E. and Kathryn (Rita) Hackett. After graduating from Pomona High School in 1968, Tony went to work at Kansas Color Press in Lawrence, Kansas, where he met first wife Patricia Hess. Tony enlisted in the USAF on October 30, 1970, where he was stateside working as a layout person in printing and publishing, mostly stationed in Michigan & Wichita Falls. First daughter, Heather Lynn Hackett, was born on June 5, 1971, while Tony was in basic training. He was honorably discharged from Sheppard AFB in Texas on April 15, 1974.
After being discharged from the service, Tony & family returned to Lawrence, Kansas, where he continued to work in the printing business. Second daughter, Sherri Lou, was born on January 3, 1976. The family moved to Baldwin City in 1978. Tony continued in the printing trade until his retirement in 2010. Tony worked part time at Carquest in Lawrence, Kansas, until his death. Mr. Hackett loved watching Jayhawk basketball, the KC Royals, and the Denver Broncos. He was an avid hunter and gardener in his spare time. The crops he produced from his immaculate garden was the talk of the county and what a pleasure to be treated to a jar of his pickled okra. Tony loved to ride 2-wheel bikes and camp. He even drove a Ponystock race car at Thunderhill in the early 2000’s. Tony was a long-time member of the Baldwin City American Legion, 40 & 8, and the Kaw Valley Studebaker club.
Mr. Hackett is survived by his current wife, Connie Lindell Hackett, Baldwin City and dog Brody; two daughters, Heather Lynn Hackett, Edwardsville; Sherri Lou McDonald (Michael), Kansas City, Kansas; one brother, Ed Hackett (Margie), Lawrence; three sisters, Kay Whitman (Merle), Lawrence; Beth Marsh (David), Waverly; and Mary Whipple (Larry), Eureka, Kansas; seven grandchildren, Jeffery Rawleigh, Kody Rawleigh, Autumn Rawleigh, Michele Rawleigh, Ethan McDonald, Matthew McDonald, and Isaac McDonald; plus many special cousins, nephews, and had an abundance of close friends from coast to coast.
Funeral services will be held Monday at 10 am at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. A visitation will be held Sunday from 2 to 4 pm at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials in his name to the Lawrence Humane Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or a charity of your choice, and may be sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044. Online condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com
Ellie LeCompte
Ellen LeCompte, 68, died August 10 at her home in Lawrence, Kansas. Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Oliver and Janet LeCompte, the second of six children, Ellie grew up in that city, attending local public schools and later the Colorado Springs School for Girls before transferring to the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, Colorado, where she graduated in 1968. Ellie thrived in the school’s iconoclastic atmosphere, where students helped build barns and operate the school’s farm.
Ellie attended Pitzer College in Claremont, California and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City before completing her undergraduate work at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. She held various jobs during and after her college studies, including teaching English at the Technical Vocational Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico and working in administration for the Colorado Springs Symphony.
Ellie received her Ph.D in psychology at the University of Kansas. She spent the rest of her life working in Topeka and Lawrence as a practicing therapist.
She wanted to feel life to the fullest, to truly connect with the world, and among all her passions, her love of animals stands out. From childhood on, the intelligence and charm of standard poodles delighted her. She was surrounded in daily life in Lawrence by her beloved poodles Pete, Betty, and Chika and her beloved cats Magic, Libby, and Archie. She sometimes rescued injured animals on the roadside, unhesitatingly funding the veterinary bills needed to restore the creature’s health.
Ellie’s generosity and devotion extended to the artistic community of Lawrence. She helped found the Lawrence Arts Center artist-in-residence program and became a friend and mentor to many emerging artists who came to Lawrence from around the world. Ellie was often in the Arts Center print studio creating her own work and delighting in her fellow printmakers.
Ellie’s voracious spirit ensured that she never stopped questioning the meaning of the world or seeking deeper connections with those she loved. Ellie believed in risk-taking, boldness, liberal notions, and unconditional love. Her home was filled with art and animals and books. She loved to have dinner and debate movies and politics and human motivations with her close friends. More than a few of her friends and family, not to mention her patients, could say she had rescued them.
She leaves behind a dear family of friends in Lawrence, Kansas as well as four siblings, Jenny Anderson of Berthoud, Colorado; Charles LeCompte of Brookline, Massachusetts; Tom LeCompte of Sharon, Massachusetts; and Peter LeCompte of Walanae, Hawaii. She was preceded in death by her younger sister Louisa LeCompte in 1964.
A celebration of Ellie’s life will be held Sunday, August 26 at 5:00 p.m. at the Lawrence Arts Center 940 New Hampshire Lawrence, Kansas 66044.
Honor Ellie with gifts to the Lawrence Arts Center, Van Go, Inc. or the Lawrence Humane Society.
Published in Lawrence Journal-World on Aug. 16, 2018
Virginia Ann Williams
Virginia Ann Williams, 80, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2018.
Born Virginia Ann Hampton on September 14, 1937, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, she is predeceased by her parents Ethel Maude McClurg Hampton and Matt Wilson Hampton and her brother Matt Wilson Jr. Hampton. She married the love of her life, Jim (James Herbert) Williams on August 25, 1961, and they were inseparable and devoted to each other for almost 57 years.
Virginia is survived by Jim, daughters Jennifer (Jay) Tusten, Ulysses, and Ellen Chindamo, Lawrence, and grandchildren Katarina (Bem) Pelletier, Lara, Mary and Natalie Tusten and Siena Casagrande, Dawson and Sophia Chindamo, and great-granddaughter Ava Pelletier.
Virginia always loved education and attended Oklahoma State University where she received a BS in home economics and elementary education and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She met Jim at the First Baptist Church where her father was his Sunday School teacher. As was the college tradition at the time, Jim pinned her with his Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity pin following graduation and proposed to her on Mount Scott in Lawton, Oklahoma.
When Virginia and Jim were first married, she taught while Jim was in the Air Force and continued her love for teaching young children in elementary education all of her life. They moved to Lawrence in 1962, where she continued to teach and she and Jim were active in the community, loved the arts and attended many events. Virginia was devoted to her family and she and Jim shared with them their passion for travel all over the United States, Caribbean and Europe. Her very favorite place to visit always remained Paris. She participated in many bridge groups, loved shopping with her girlfriends, cooking from scratch and working in her garden.
She was very brave and fought a long and difficult battle with multiple myeloma and the family is grateful to the many family, friends, and caregivers who helped her for many years. They are especially grateful to Dr. Don Hatton, Dr. Christopher Penn, Dr. Matt Stein, Dr. Jodie Barr, Dr. Lida Osbern, Dr. Shari Quick and the staff of Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Dr. Martha Lacy at the Mayo Clinic for all of their excellent care.
The memorial service will take place on Friday, August 17 at 10:00 am at the First Southern Baptist Church, 4300 West 6th Street, Lawrence. A lunch reception will follow at the church. Contributions can made to the First Southern Baptist Church and be sent in care of the Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, Kansas 66044.
George William Francis
George Francis, lifelong resident of Lawrence, Kansas and local business owner, died at the age of 90. He was best known for his store, Francis Sporting Goods which he co-owned with his father Gilbert Francis (established in 1947) and son, Jon Francis, until George’s retirement in 1993.
George was born January 30, 1928 to Bernice Evelyn Starkey Francis and Gilbert Alexander Francis, married Carol Buhler in 1950 and celebrated 64 years of marriage before she passed away March 21, 2015.
George is survived by his children April (Mike) Dwyer, Lawrence, Wendy (Scott) Clay, Desoto, Jay (Doreen) Francis, Topeka, Jon (Julie) Francis, Baldwin, and grandchildren, Madison, Morgan, Anikka, Kyle and Elaina.
George played trumpet for over 70 years, until the age of 83. He was band leader/owner of the Collegians band, played with New Horizons and the Lawrence City Band (concerts in the park) for many years. He was a member of the Jazz House Band, Junkyard Jazz Band, played with Charles Steeper Orchestra, the Varsity Crew Orchestra, Harlen Livingood’s Orchestra and Bob Blum’s Orchestra.
George graduated from Lawrence High School in 1946 and attended Kansas University. He was a previous member of the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Lawrence Association, National Sporting Goods Association, Life Member Local 512 American Federation of Music, Life Member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity, Life member of Masonic Lodge, 32 degree Mason, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and 69 year member of Trinity Episcopal Church.
George was in the Army National Guard for 13 years in Company H, 137th Infantry Regiment with a rank of 1st Lieutenant. He was up for Captain but resigned prior to that.
He was the head starter for many swim meets with the Lawrence Aquahawks from its inception in 1968. He was a 46 year member of the Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club logging over 1400 miles in a canoe. He also was a genealogist tracing the family heritage back through generations.
George was instrumental in helping his wife with the restoration and upkeep of the historic House Building in downtown Lawrence where his business was located.
He survived several strokes and worked his way back to near normal each time with his very special physical therapist of many years, Doug Hitt. He loved canoeing, camping, hunting, fishing and playing his trumpet.
He leaves behind many friends and caregivers at Brandon Woods.
A special thank you to Dr. Eric Huerter.
A Visitation will take place Thursday, August 16, 2018, from 6-7:30 pm, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.
Contributions can be made to the Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club (OWWC) a non-profit that promotes the health of our rivers, or the Lawrence City Band, both sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Patricia Ann (Wingert) Konop
A visitation for Patricia Ann Konop, 60, Lawrence, will be from 2-4 pm, Saturday August 18, 2018 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. A celebration will follow at Astro’s 601 Kasold Dr Ste C107, Lawrence, KS 66049, at 5 pm.
She died Friday, August 10, 2018, at her home.
Pamela Jean Mattson
Memorial services for Pamela Jean Mattson, 66, Lawrence will be 1 pm, Saturday August 25, 2018, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.
She died Tuesday, August 7, 2018, at her home.
Pamela was born September 8, 1951, in Kansas City, MO, the daughter of Maurice Everett and Vera Evelyn Knoepker Gordon.
She graduated from North High School in Wichita, KS in 1969. Pam retired from the city of Lawrence after 19 years in 2001.
Pam was loved by most but liked by all the people she has met throughout her life. She loved all of her grandchildren immensely and would do everything she could for all of them. Her grandkids absolutely adored her and state that she “was and still is the greatest grandma ever!” We definitely couldn’t have asked for a better mother, grandmother and friend.
She had a great passion for animals and has had numerous cats throughout her wonderful life. Pam loved to travel and has seen many parts of the country and Canada.
Survivors include her sons Shawn Bedient, Andrew (Boni) Mattson; sisters, Patricia Baker, Kathleen (James “Bud”) Wilkes; brothers, Doug (Susan) Gordon, Chuck (Seikiko) Doolittle; grandkids, Michael , Zachary, Lucas, Alexus, T.J. , Kaylee; nieces and nephews, Courtney, Samuel, Rick and Miki.
She is preceded in death by her parents and sister Maurine.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Pamela Jean Mattson Memorial Fund, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Joseph “Joe” Edward Adler
Memorial services for Joseph E. Adler 58, Lawrence will be held Saturday, August 18, 2018, 10:30 AM at Memorial Park, 1517 E. 15th St, Lawrence, KS. Casual attire.
Joe passed away at his home July 17, 2018. and will be remembered as a kind and loyal friend, son, brother, and with a sometimes quirky sense of humor. He was always full of interesting facts and stories.
Joe was born in Fredonia, KS September 24, 1959, the son of Henry and Carol Pfeifer Adler.
In 1977, He graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School. While there, he was inducted into the National Forensic League in 1974 and continued his Debate career at JCCC and at Kansas University winning awards and tournaments with his Debate partner. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism in 1983.
In 1984 he joined the US Army. He was selected to represent his platoon in the WWII reenactment at his Boot Camp graduation in Ft. Benning, GA. Sgt. Joseph E. Adler was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany and at Ft. Hood, Texas. He was awarded The Army Achievement Medal in June 1986 for meritorious service as the commander’s radio telephone operator during Reforger 86, and to handle additional responsibilities of operating the company’s Net Control Station vehicle. Sgt. Adler was recognized for many achievements by the Army. He was a charter member of the Amvets Post of Lenexa KS.
After he was discharged from the military he returned to Kansas University to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in 1992.
Joe had a life long interest in history from the time he was a young child. He was a voracious reader with an insatiable search for knowledge and he encouraged others to expand their horizons. An avid sports fan of KU Basketball, Chiefs and Royals. Joe loved playing Frisbee golf, tennis and was a member of “The Gods of Football” team as chronicled in “Modern Football History”.
He was a Freight Conductor for the BNSF Railroad.
He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Adler in 1981. He is survived by his mother Carol Adler, of Mission, his brother Alex Adler of Mission and niece Samantha Jane Adler, Albuquerque, NM.
Memorial contributions can be made to Veterans Community Project KC (Tiny Houses project for homeless veterans)To donate online www.veteranscommunityproject.org or by mail 8900 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64131 or Overland Park Historical Society, PO Box 4022, Overland Park, KS 66204.
Diane Marie (Mayer) Darwin
Diane Marie Darwin, beloved wife and mother, passed away quietly in her home on August 9, 2018 from the effects of pancreatic cancer.
Diane was born on November 1, 1945 in College Point, New York to Girard R. (Bob) and Dorothy Hausman Mayer. She attended St. Anastasia School in Douglaston, NY and graduated from Bayside High School. Diane attended the State University of New York at Cortland, where she was member of Nu Sigma Chi sorority, receiving a bachelor’s degree in math education in 1967. She later taught in Binghamton, NY and Fayetteville, NC. While at Cortland, Diane met the love of her life, David Darwin, who attended nearby Cornell University. Diane and Dave married on June 29, 1968. They had two children, Sam and Lorraine, and lived in North Carolina, Virginia, and Illinois for a short time. The family moved to Lawrence in 1974 when Dave accepted a position of assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Kansas.
Diane received a BS in Civil Engineering from KU in 1979. In the following years, she worked for the Douglas County Public Works Department, took graduate courses at KU, and devoted her time to raising her children. Throughout the years, Diane was an active member of self-help groups and fitness (PATH) classes. She greatly enjoyed gardening and yard work. Diane continued with these interests well into her diagnosis.
Diane and Dave celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June.
Diane will be remembered as a loving mother and wife and as a friendly and caring person. Her smile and kindness warmed the hearts of many and she will be greatly missed.
Diane is survived by her husband Dave; her son Sam; her daughter, Lorraine and husband Steve Marroulis of Catonsville, MD; her sister, Marilyn Skerrett of Phoenix and family; and her brother, Gerard (Jerry) Mayer and wife Lyn of Endwell, NY and family.
Diane’s memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 18 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 6001 Bob Billings Pkwy, Lawrence, KS. Private inurnment will take place at a later date in Pioneer Cemetery on the University of Kansas Campus.
The family suggests memorials to the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association, 200 Maine St, Suite C, Lawrence, KS 66044 or to the KU Endowment Association, PO Box 928, Lawrence, KS 66044-0928 to support the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.
Online condolences may be sent to www.rumsey-yost.com.
Marcella Janine Parris
Graveside services for Marcella Janine Parris, 58, Lawrence, will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, August 13, 2018, at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Parris died Wednesday, August 8, 2018, at her home.
She was born April 29, 1960 in Dodge City, Kansas to John Davis Gary Sr. and Frances Kay (Pence) Higby.
She graduated from Iola High School in Iola, KS.
Mrs. Parris was a homemaker and enjoyed taking care of her family.
Mrs. Parris is survived by husband, Kevin Parris; daughter, Marcella Kay Blevins; grandchildren, Jonathan, Dallas, and Dakoda Jo Blevins; great grandchild, Tayla Blevins; sisters, Mary Newsom and husband Dennis of Gilbert, AZ, Jonnie Barr and husband Guy of Eudora, Shannon Peek and husband Craig of Neosho, MO, seven nephews and nieces, James and wife Brittney, Josh and wife Tessa, Jessica and husband Cameron, Jeromy and wife Erica, Kaleb, Becca, and Megan.
She was preceded in death by brother, John Davis Gary Jr.; mother, Frances Kay Higby; father, John Davis Gary Sr.; stepfather, Jimmie Don Higby.
Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society, sent in care of the funeral home.
