Mary Margaret Dean

She loved a lot of places: poolside at her home in Bucyrus, on the porch of her cabin in Umberland, on the back of her boat with her feet splashing in Stockton Lake, and in the stands watching her children and grandchildren play sports. But her favorite place of all was probably on the back of a horse. The Rodeo Queen Mary Dean of Bucyrus, Kansas, passed away on Monday, February 5, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. She was 69 years old.

Rosary will be prayed at 5:00 pm, Friday, February 9, 2024, at Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 22779 Metcalf Road, Bucyrus, Kansas 66013. Visitation to follow from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Funeral mass will be held at 10:00 am, Saturday, February 10, 2024, also at the church. Burial to follow at the Holy Rosary Cemetery, Bucyrus, Kansas.

Mary Margaret Connolly was born on July 17, 1954, in Sidney, Nebraska, to Cornelius Francis Connolly and Rhea Margaret Connolly. They moved to Kansas in 1958, where she discovered her first lifelong love: horseback riding. She started riding at the age of 9, and competed in Western showmanship in the Golden Circle horse show circuit throughout her teenage years. She was also a champion barrel racer, and was named Midwest Pinto Queen two years in a row before being named Miss Kansas City Rodeo Queen in 1972 at the age of 17.

It was around that time that she discovered her second lifelong love: Michael “Mick” Dean. Maybe it was his obsession with fast cars that got her attention, or maybe it was his long hair and band gigs that pulled her in. Either way, the high school sweethearts graduated from Blue Valley High School in 1972, and she married one of those seven “Dean boys” three years later.

Mick and Mary were married on June 27, 1975, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa. They settled in Bucyrus in 1980, right after their first daughter Molly Rheannon was born. They bought a small two-bedroom house on a gravel road that had a lot of potential, mostly because of the five acres it sat on. Over the years, Mick and Mary would build the home of their dreams on that property – with their own hands – and would bring two more babies home to Mission Road: Elizabeth “Libby” Mary and Caleb Michael. That home would be the setting for so many memories over the next 44 years, including weddings, receptions, and birthday parties, and Mary was always the most welcoming host, greeting everyone with a smile and her infamous hug.

Mary’s second home was in Umberland at Stockton Lake in Missouri. She spent countless weekends there with people she loved, including her beloved brother Mike and his family – their cabins connected by a wooden walkway that symbolized the bond between them. Mary loved talking with neighbors and friends at the boat ramp of what many called “Mick and Mary’s cove.”

Mary loved her horses, but her dogs and cats, too. She cared for many pets over the years, and found a way to connect her affection for animals with her career. Mary worked at Red Oak Animal Hospital for 15 years as the office manager, and prior to that, she drove horse carriages on the Country Club Plaza for 10 years. Nameplates remain in the barn that she and Mick built for the horses and ponies she brought to Bucyrus over the years: Peppy, Pie, Peggy Sue, Dolly, Elmo, and Roscoe. But her favorite pets might have been her first and last: her horse Dandy Pache and her dog Lilo.

Mary’s additional interests included watching her favorite sports teams, such as the Royals and the Chiefs. But in recent years she preferred youth sports. She adored her six grandchildren and became a treasured spectator at their competitions in baseball, basketball, soccer, dance and gymnastics. Mary also loved playing music, attending concerts and writing. She filled her life with vibrant and memorable experiences, and she had a lot of fun along the way.

Mary is survived by her husband of 48 years, Michael James Dean, of Bucyrus; her daughter Molly (Josh) Clark of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; her daughter Libby (Noah) Hoppe of Elmhurst, Illinois; her son Caleb (Megan) Dean of Bennington, Nebraska; her grandchildren Colby Michael Dean, Chase Thomas Dean, Rowan Elizabeth Hoppe, Cheyenne Jo Dean, Rhea Marie Clark, and Lark Noelle Hoppe; her brother Michael (Lisa) Connolly; her sister Jane True; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and extended family members who loved her fiercely. She was preceded in death by her parents Cornelius and Rhea Connolly; her father-in-law and mother-in-law Russell and Jackie Dean; her sister-in-law Terri Dean-Creason; and her cousins Kevin Lust and Dave Lust.

In lieu of flowers, Mick and her children have set up a fund to help with the care and feeding of the last horse at Buck-a-Board Farm, Roscoe, who has now been moved to a new home where he will enjoy the rest of his days. You can make checks payable to Roscoe Fund, c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, P.O. Box 669, Louisburg, Kansas 66053, or find Mary Dean's Roscoe Fund on GoFundMe.