Mary Rae Kelley

Mary Rae Cronin Kelley passed away peacefully at her home on December 4, 2024.

She was born on August 12, 1951 to Raymond and Esther (Mock) Cronin in Kansas City, MO. She was the baby of the family and the only girl. She is survived by her four older brothers, Larry Cronin, Eddie Cronin (Jo Cronin), Richard Cronin and Joe Cronin.

She graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1969. She married (later divorced) and had three children whom she loved fiercely. Scot Kelley (Kimberly Bell) of Columbia, MO, Sean Kelley (Jamie Kelley) of Paola, KS and Sandy Barney(Justin Barney) of Liberty, MO. Her six grandchildren were her biggest source of joy. Grace Kelley, Noah Kelley, Kohl Tigerstrom, Dominic “Moose” Kelley, Jackson Barney and Cassidy Barney, each of whom loved her the most.

She had a large extended family including many cousins, nieces, nephews and countless kids who called her Mom. She loved each of them dearly and spoke of them often.

She spent most of her life in the Kansas City area and worked in Office Administration at Arrowspeed Warehouse, Keystone Automotive and American Digital Security until her retirement.

She spent a few wonderful years living in Florida near her brother and sister-in-law and their children.

In 2021 she moved to Paola, KS to be near her children and grandchildren.

She loved road trips as the backseat driver, spending time with family, watching the Royals and Chiefs, attending grandkid’s sporting events, Wheel of Fortune and telling the same story multiple times.

In her later years she enjoyed the peacefulness of her quiet home. She loved following the lives of family and friends on Facebook where she was always quick to offer a supportive and loving comment. She was friendly with everyone in Paola and always shared with them her pride in her family.

We all knew that we were her favorite child or grandchild because she told each of us we were the one!

“I Love You” was spoken often and, as she learned from her beloved parents, it was always “See You Later”, never “Goodbye”.

Rest peacefully mom, we’ve got it from here. See you later and we love you!

A celebration of life will be held on December 22, 2024 from 1-3pm at the Justice Center, 16540 N Moonlight Road, Gardner, KS 66030. Per her wishes, it will be a happy event filled with shared memories, great stories and laughter.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Heart Association.