Category: Obituaries
Nina Rue Ray
A graveside memorial service for Nina Rue Ray, 79, Lawrence, will be 2:00 p.m. Friday at Maple Grove Cemetery in Lawrence.
Mrs. Ray died January 23, 2021, at Advent Health Shawnee Mission.
She was born August 29, 1941, in Flippin, Arkansas, the daughter of Ralph and Amy Dorshea Quarry Davis.
Mrs. Ray worked in home healthcare. She enjoyed keeping in touch with family, taking care of everyone, animals, and watching TV.
She married Bobby Ray, September 27, 1958 in Flippin, Arkansas. He died in 2010.
Survivors include a son, Robert Ray of Lawrence; brothers, Gerald Davis of Mountain Home, Arkansas, Olaf Davis of Mountain Home, Arkansas; sisters, Dorothy Flannigan of Mountain Home, Arkansas, Shirley Lonon of Mountain Home, Arkansas, Wilma Wright of Bonner Springs, Kansas; 7 grandchildren; and 7 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sons, Bill Ray, Paul Ray, David Ray, and Gary Allen Ray; brothers, Ralph Davis, Jr., Ermiss Davis; sisters, Betty Ruth Davis, and Anna Sue Clark.
The family suggests memorial contributions to Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, PO Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Leanna May Ward
Memorial services for Leanna May Ward, 79, Lawrence, will be 10 am, Saturday, January 30, 2021, at Connect Church, 3351 W 31st St. Lawrence, Kansas 66047.
She died November 27, 2020, at LMH Health.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home or the Humane Society, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Marian Opal (Lasswell) Goodrick
A visitation for Marian Opal Goodrick, 97, Lecompton, will be from 4:30-6:30 pm, Friday, January 22, 2021, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. She will lie in state from noon to 8 pm. Private family services will happen later.
She passed away at her home in Lecompton, Kansas. She was born in Lecompton on August 29, 1923 to Marion Thomas Lasswell and Evaline Browning Busch Lasswell and was a life-long resident of Lecompton except for five years in California from 1959-1963
Opal attended Lecompton Elementary school and graduated from Lecompton Rural High School in 1941. Following attending Strickler’s Business College in Topeka she was employed at Kansas Capital Federal Savings & Loan League in Topeka. A year later she began working for Kansas Electric Power Co. a forerunner of Kansas Power and Light Company in Lawrence, retiring as executive secretary for Rensler W. McClure prior to her marriage to Lewis Alonzo Goodrick on December 25, 1947.
Marian, as she was known in the Goodrick Family, and “Lewie” set up housekeeping in Lecompton and their oldest three sons (Robert Lewis, Stephen Dale, Jeffery Lynn) were born in Kansas. In 1959, the family moved to Tehachapi, CA where youngest son, (Michael Thomas “Tom”) was born. They returned to Lecompton in 1963.
She was a member of Lecompton United Methodist Church, a Life Member of the Lecompton Historical Society. She joined the Lecompton Rebeka Lodge No. 698 and held all chairs and was Noble Grand several times. She belonged to the Lecompton Sunshine Club for over 50 years and the Pamida Club in Lecompton.
Opal was a homemaker and community activist and supporter while raising four sons. She served as one of the curators for the Territorial Capital Museum for years, helping wherever needed, cataloguing, searching for grants, donating funds and artifacts. Many of the existing exhibits were designed and built by those original curators.
She helped “Lewis” in their restaurants in Lawrence: Duck’s Tavern; and later Happy Hals Steakhouse for 18 years.
Her hobbies were sewing and writing poems. One of her poems commemorating Lecompton’s “Constitution Hall” was read before the Kansas House and Means Committee on March 3, 1985 and was instrumental in the Legislative decision to add Constitution Hall to the State Historic Properties list. She also wrote a poem for the Lecompton United Methodist Church’s Anniversary celebration.
Her husband, Lewis, died December 20, 1999. Her parents; stepdaughter, Dorothy (Dottie) Olson; three sisters: Edna G. Bahnmaier, Elsie May Emken, Mary Nelle Lasswell; and great granddaughter, Leah Linhardt preceded her.
She is survived by sons: Robert L. (Marian) Goodrick, Olathe, Ks; Stephen D. (Norma) Goodrick Sr., Round Rock, TX; Jeffrey L. (Doree) Goodrick, Lecompton, KS; Michael “Tom” Goodrick, Lecompton, KS.; 19 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law, Trecia Goodrick, Lawrence, Ks and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family suggests memorials to Lecompton Historical Society, Box 68, Lecompton, KS 66050; Lecompton United Methodist Church, Box 91, Lecompton, 66050 or St. Jude’s Hospital for Children.
Online condolences made at rumsey-yost.com
Dr. Paul K. Kincaid
“Maxine will now entertain us, tap dancing to ‘Mr. Bojangles’”. That was Paul Kendall Kincaid the son of Leslie B. and Carrie B. Fowler Kincaid born January 30, 1921 in Polo, Missouri and died Sunday, January 17, 2021. He was broadcasting from his homemade transmitter and bedroom studio on Greasey Street in Braymer, Missouri. Paul was on the air most Saturday mornings in 1937 and 38 with the exception of game days when he played basketball for his school team the Braymer Bobcats.
Following high school Paul attended William Jewell College for three years. There he was inducted into Gamma Sigma Epsilon Honorary Fraternity for outstanding chemistry majors. Three years later he graduated with distinction from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry and was inducted in Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary dental fraternity. Dr. Kincaid started his practice in 1945. He entered the United States Army and served as a dentist at New Cumberland Disciplinary and Quartermaster Depot in Cumberland, Pennsylvania and was honorably discharged as a Captain in late 1954.
He returned to Lawrence and practiced at 23rd & Barker until his retirement following his 94th birthday in 2015. He and his son Dr. Charles Kincaid traveled to Haiti on Medical missionary trips in 1983, 1985, 1987. He was honored as a Paul Harris fellow by Rotary in recognition for his work in Haiti. He received his Ham Radio License in 1941. He especially appreciated the recognition by his peers in the Douglas County Dental Society for his 70 years of practice in Lawrence.
Paul enjoyed working in his shop making clocks and bracelets for his many friends. He also loved “sneaking out” of Presbyterian Manor for breakfast with his son Paul Kincaid Jr. who was his and mom’s loyal caregiver for many years. Most of all he believed in God and took the Golden Rule literally as he measured, measured, and measured some more before proceeding as the motto he lived by was ‘Do It Right.”
He married Mary Bess Myers on April 1, 1944 in Olathe. She preceded him in death in 2011. Survivors include two sons, Dr. Paul Kincaid Jr., Lawrence, and Dr. Charles L. Kincaid and wife Dr. Claudia Kincaid, Lawrence; seven grandchildren, David and wife Sherrie, Jeffery, Elizabeth, Benjamin, and wife Mary-Kate, Ivan, Aurora, and Charles Jr., as well as his beautiful great granddaughter Clarus Kendall Kincaid.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the First United Methodist Church, or the Lawrence Humane Society, in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044. Online condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com
The family is having a little private ceremony to get dad next to mom at the cemetery as soon as possible. As soon as common sense permits we are looking forward to a big celebration of his life. Our special thanks to everyone at Presbyterian Manor for making dad feel at home, safe and secure these last four years.
We also appreciate Matt Daigh at Rumsey-Yost and my father for planning everything out so all our family has to do is count our blessings and remember the good times.
Christine Johnson
Graveside services for Christine Johnson, 91, Lawrence, will be private at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Johnson died Saturday, January 16, 2021, at Pioneer Ridge Retirement Community.
She was born May 16, 1929, in El Dorado, KS, the daughter of Alonzo Edward and Cordelia Dee Mitchell Howard. She graduated from Liberty Memorial High School.
Mrs. Johnson worked as a para professional and data processor for the University of Kansas. She loved cooking.
She married Henry Lee Johnson on July 24, 1952, they celebrated 67 years together. He died in 2019.
Survivors include a son, Michael M. Johnson and wife Carol of Lawrence; a daughter, Tina Stevenson and husband Larry E. of Albuquerque, New Mexico; sister, Peggy Thompson of Kansas City, Missouri; grandchildren, Larry A. Stevenson, Starla Barrett, Christina Johnson, and Michelle McBurney.
She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Bessie White, Mary Katherine Sweeps, Alonzo Edward Howard Jr., Daisy Smith, Dottie Coates, and Barbara Taylor.
Mary Ann Chamberlin
Private services will be held for Mary Ann Chamberlin, 90, Lawrence. She passed away at her home on January 14th, 2021.
Mary Ann was born March 12, 1930, in Lawrence, the daughter of Harold Clarence and Agnes Marion Barton Herschell.
She worked at the Douglas County Appraiser’s office from 1975-1992 until she retired. She was a lifelong member of Clinton Presbyterian Church. In her spare time Mary Ann enjoyed fishing, camping and traveling.
She married Robert E. (Bob) Chamberlin on November 26, 1949, he preceded her in death on October 18, 2011.
Survivors include her children; Jim Chamberlin (Rhonda), Pomona, Nancy Cronn (Charles), Lyndon, Peggy Barden (Bob), DePere, Wisconsin, John Chamberlin, Overland Park, Dean Chamberlin (Saleena), Copper Cove, Texas, Shirley McElhenie (Patrick), Sauk City, Wisconsin; Sister Kathryn Joyce Davis, Lawrence; twenty one grandchildren, five step grandchildren, fifteen great grandchildren and two step great grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband and brother William Herschell.
Mary Ann will lie in state from noon to 8 pm, Sunday, January 17, 2021, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Clinton Presbyterian Church, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1260, Lawrence, Kansas 66044.
Karen Lea Finkbiner
Karen Finkbiner passed away Sunday, January 10, 2021, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
She was born May 28, 1968, in Springfield, Missouri, the daughter of James and Jean Mitchell. Karen was a graduate of Glendale High School in 1986 and earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Kansas in 1992. She later completed a pharmacy practice residency and a specialized residency in oncology pharmacy practice at the University of Cincinnati in 1993 and 1994 respectively.
As an oncology pharmacist, Karen worked at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida and at Via Christi in Wichita before beginning her long tenure at Lawrence Memorial Hospital which lasted from 2001 to 2020. She was the oncology pharmacy manager at Lawrence Memorial Hospital when she fell ill.
Karen was extremely dedicated to her job and the care of her patients. Outside of work, she was an avid reader, animal lover, and amateur beekeeper. She enjoyed watching sitcoms and dramas, eating good food, and spending time with her family.
Karen married Eric Finkbiner on July 28, 1990.
She is survived by her husband; her two sons, Ian and Spencer; her father; her sister Suzanne Broddle and her husband Alan; and two nephews, Ryan and Samuel.
A service may be held at a later date.
The family suggests memorials to the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Oncology Center and the Lawrence Humane Society, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Condolences may be sent at www.rumsey-yost.com
Below is a Eulogy written by Dr. Matthew Stein, one of Karen’s longtime coworkers and friends:
Karen Finkbiner very simply was an exceptional human being. For those of us who had the privilege to spend precious time with her she was someone who demonstrated all the virtues that we wished to possess and demonstrate in our lives. Beloved friend, extraordinary professional, incredible caregiver, and loving and devoted wife and Mother, Karen will be missed by all of us whose lives she affected and by many who do not know just how instrumental she was in making their lives longer and better.
For those of us who were her colleagues that privilege was working with Karen on a daily basis for nearly 20 years taking care of the patients of the LMH Oncology Center where she daily had a major impact on the lives of those who were undergoing treatment and upon those of us who administered those treatments. Karen in her quiet and competent manner enhanced and protected all of the lives of those receiving and giving complex treatments at our Center. Though at times behind the scenes, there was no detail too trivial and no safety measure too small that did not draw her fervent and complete attention. Without hesitation or discernible doubt Karen had a
major impact on the multiple success stories that have been given to her patients. As a complete professional she will always have our highest admiration, respect, and honor. As a friend and colleague, she will always have our highest affection, thanks, and remembrance for what she helped create and sustain.
As wife and Mother she leaves behind Eric and her two sons, Ian and Spencer. We pray that her family will always be blessed with her love and affection along with the memories of her strength, determination, and positive effect on the lives of all of us.
Lynne (Hinkel) Lipsey
Lynne Florence (Hinkel) Lipsey, of Lawrence, died on Sunday, January 10, 2021, after living with cancer for more than two years.
Lynne was born on May 7, 1947, the third child of Hollis and Adele Hinkel of Rochester, Michigan. She attended Rochester High School and Michigan State University, where she graduated with honors in German and met her future husband.
In high school, Lynne was an exchange student in Hamburg, Germany, and her family hosted exchange students Elke Schardin from Hamburg and Ana Maria de Menezes from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lynne was able to maintain contact with Ana throughout much of her life.
Lynne spoke German fluently and was able to use the language extensively when she accompanied her husband, Dick, on his Army assignment to Germany in 1970-71 and in later vacation trips to Europe.
During their Army years, Lynne lived in Friedberg, Germany, where she handled international currency conversions for American Express; Fort Ord, California, where she worked for the Carmel Police Department and met Mayor Clint Eastwood; and Galesburg, Illinois, where she taught introductory German at Knox College.
She also lived in suburban Washington, DC, and worked as a travel agent in the Crystal City shops in Arlington, Virginia; and at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, where she taught English as a second language.
In 1977 Lynne and Dick adopted twin girls from Korea who were the joy of their lives.
Lynne moved with her family in 1985 to Lawrence, where she worked as a substitute teacher in the school system and as an agent for McGrew Real Estate before finding a niche with the University of Kansas Division of Continuing Education.
During her nineteen years at Continuing Education, she helped the transition from correspondence courses to internet instruction and worked with many faculty members to put their courses online. Lynne also enjoyed working with Professor Maryemma Graham on the Project on the History of Black Writing.
In 1993 and 1994, Lynne and her family sponsored high school exchange students from Brazil and Poland and took them to Rocky Mountain National Park, beginning a family tradition of enjoying the Colorado mountains.
She retired from KU in 2008 and moved to Estes Park, Colorado, where she and Dick had a comfortable home on a dead-end road on the side of a mountain at 8,600-feet elevation with an expansive view of Estes Park and the surrounding mountains.
In Estes Park, Lynne was a volunteer at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park and a member of the Estes Park Ambassadors at the town’s Visitor Center. She was an enthusiastic genealogist and did extensive DNA research into her family’s history.
A particular highlight was a trip to Ireland in 2018, where she was able to introduce her husband to two of his very-distant Irish cousins whom she had connected with through her ancestry research.
She was diagnosed with cancer soon after that trip and the following year returned to Lawrence to be closer to family. She passed away in hospice care at home with her husband and daughters at her bedside.
Lynne loved animals and had a series of dogs ranging from Piccolo, the dachshund she bought at a pet store in Frankfurt, Germany, to Jasper, the golden doodle who was a comfort in her final days.
Lynne was known by family, friends, and acquaintances as a warm, caring, and gracious woman who was a joy to be with. She was a special person.
Lynne is survived by her husband, Dick; her daughters Kelly Yates (John) of Leawood and Kerry Smalley (Jeff) of Topeka; her brother, Howard Hinkel (Gail) of Columbia, Missouri; and her sister, Sharon Hartlein (Bob), of Midland, Michigan, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be 1pm Saturday, June 26 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 2-3pm at the funeral home.
Donations to the Cotton-O’Neil Cancer Center, Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, or to the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association are suggested. Donations may be sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Linda Carole Nemecheck
Private family services for Linda Carol Nemecheck, 75, Lawrence, will take place later.
She passed away on January 10, 2021, at her home.
Linda was born on May 24, 1945 in, Pittsburg, Kansas, the daughter of John D. Jr. and Mary Louise Millman Clark.
Linda enjoyed watching birds, rabbits and squirrels in her yard. She loved wildflowers and the pretty spring flowers and fall leaves. She loved scrapbooking, stamping and card making. Most of all she loved her family.
She married Howard Willis Plenert, they had one daughter Stacee Michelle Plenert-Wiggins. They later divorced in 1982. She married Walter A. Nemecheck in 1991, He survives of the home.
Other survivors include her daughter, Stacee Plenert-Wiggins (Steve); step children Jason Nemecheck (Kim), Shelly Nemecheck (John); granddaughters Kaylee and Kylee (Coy Leming), and Kellee, step grandchildren, Brittany Nemecheck, Storm Pobjoy, Tabitha Ethington, Brandon Wiggins (Kegan) their son Nolan; step great grandchildren Raiden, Mavis and Finnic; cousin Gary Milleman, Pittsburg, KS.
Memorial contributions may be made to Visiting Nurses, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.
