Marion Kelsey Obituary

Marion Alaine Ryan Kelsey

June 23, 1941 - July 29, 2025

Marion Alaine Ryan Kelsey, 84, of Prairie Village, KS, died on July 29, 2025. Born on June 23, 1941, in Tulsa, OK - the eldest of Beverly and Richard Ryan's six children - Marion was a natural-born caregiver, leader, and loving, nurturing presence to all lucky enough to know her. The Ryan family moved frequently with her father's employment throughout Marion's youth - taking them to Denver, Billings, Mattoon, and Houston. Each relocation became an opportunity for Marion to hone her lifelong ability to "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."

Marion arrived at Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, KS in 1959 to pursue her love of learning and deepen her Catholic faith. At the first fall mixer, she met Darrel Kelsey, a senior at St. Benedict's in Atchison, KS. They knew from the start that their union - rooted in family, faith, and friendship - would carry them from their first dance until "The Twelfth of Never." Marion and Darrel wed in September 1962 at Christ the King Church in Tulsa before settling in Topeka, KS. Darrel's Army duty took them to San Antonio, TX for three years before they returned to Tulsa in 1966.

Marion and Darrel were active members of any community that involved their family and faith, especially Church of St. Mary in Tulsa. Marion relished every opportunity to create and edit newsletters, cookbooks, directories, or special tributes as part of her tireless volunteerism at St. Mary Grade School and Bishop Kelley High School - community mainstays and sources of lifelong friendships for the family.

A talented photographer, Marion also was a gifted writer for the Junior League's Gusher publication, which once shared in a tribute about her: "Marion received many honors for her volunteer service. In 1977 she received Honorable Mention as the League's 'Volunteer of the Year' and in 1978 was the Junior League of Tulsa's nominee for the Sertoma 'Service to Mankind' award. These honors were due to her constant commitment to her varied volunteer activities, ranging from Girl Scout Leader to Meals on Wheels Coordinator."

Known as the "spark plug" of her own family, Marion brought her creativity and zeal to myriad efforts and communities throughout her life, most especially around gatherings for her loved ones. In 2010, Marion and Darrel settled in Prairie Village, KS to more fully embrace her most treasured role in life - being a Nana.

Marion is preceded in death by her firstborn, Darrel Jr.; her parents, Beverly and Richard Ryan; and her brother, Paul J. Ryan. Surviving family include her beloved husband, Darrel A. Kelsey; daughters Christina Kelsey, Teresa Kelsey, Laura (Curt) Marchand, and Mary Catherine (Doug) Newman; grandchildren Curtis (Hannah) Marchand, Kelsey (Michael) Needham, Tyler Marchand, Evan Newman, and Julia Newman; great-grandchildren Curtis, Vincent, and Riley Marchand; Jude and Etta Needham; siblings Nancy Beirne, Tricia (Richard) Sherry, Dale Ryan, and Tim (Kathryn) Ryan.

Visitation will be at 4:00 in the afternoon on Friday, August 15, 2025, with a 5:00 Rosary at Porter Funeral Home (8535 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS 66215). Following a burial at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa, KS, the Memorial Mass will be at 11:30 in the morning on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at St. Ann Catholic Church (7231 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208).

To honor Marion, the family encourages you to emulate what she did best: support a charity dear to your heart, host a dinner with friends and family, anonymously make something better or easier for another, write the note that someone needs to receive, take the time to call and check in on people you care about, double-batch a favorite dish to share, capture memories through pictures, and love your family with your whole heart.

"Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."