Gearl D. (Jeri) Marcel

Gearl Dean (Jeri) Marcel passed away surrounded by her family, peacefully at home from natural causes on February 12, 2022, at the age of 88. Born in Tyrone, Missouri on July 2, 1933, to Nicholas and Myrtle McKinney, she was the youngest of five children. She moved to Kansas City and worked for TWA until her marriage to Leo F. Marcel on June 20th, 1952, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Kansas City, Kansas. As a homemaker, Jeri raised five independent daughters. She was a loving and devoted mother. For much of her life she was an avid tennis player and enjoyed the home arts of sewing, making hand-stitched quilts, gourmet cooking, flower arranging, and house decorating. She took pride in her Irish heritage and could trace her ancestry, the MacQuillan’s, back to Dunluce castle in Antrim, Ireland, from the 1480’s to the 1550’s. After her children were grown, she worked in retail sales at Macy’s, Dillard’s and then 17 years at Sam’s Club and Walmart. She was a beautiful woman, with a friendly smile and easy to laugh, who delighted in meeting and talking to new people. She had an independent, adventurous spirit. She enjoyed traveling and lived six months in Bangalore, India with her youngest daughter and grandson. She loved the arts and relished in attending the KC Theater League’s Broadway Series and Quality Hill Playhouse performances. 

 Jeri was preceded in death by her parents Nicholas and Myrtle McKinney, three brothers, Paul E. McKinney (Ida), Ray C. McKinney (Josephine), and Keith McKinney, and two children, Mary Deborah and Matthew Marcel. Jeri is survived by her 5 daughters, Lisa A. Marcel (Jim) Fariss, Elaine Marcel (Dr. William H.) Culbert, Karen D. Marcel, Jeanette Marcel, and Suzanne Marcel; grandchildren Dr. Matthew M. (Daniella) Culbert, Madison M. Shepherd and Carson W. Smith; her sister Wilma Dean Holder and several nephews and nieces who were very special to her.

 A special thanks to her devoted caregivers for the love and care they gave: Sandy Duggan, mom’s special caregiver with RN Services, all the staff at Crossroads Hospice, including Chaplain Clark Smith who visited often and gave her and the family spiritual comfort in time of need, family friend, Robert Smith, and special friend to the family, Blake Williams.

 Visitation will be held Saturday, February 26th, starting at 11:00 a.m. followed by a Celebration of Life at 1:00 p.m. at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., Kansas City, MO 64112. Due to family members with underlying health concerns, we strongly encourage everyone to be fully vaccinated and masks are required.

In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored if a donation in her memory was made to Catholic Charities of NE KS (www.catholiccharitiesks.org) to honor her faith, or to the Quality Hill Playhouse (www.qualityhillplayhouse.com/support-the-q/) for her love of the arts, or The National Audubon Society (www.audubon.org) for her love of birds. (Address for Charity Donation: 12806 W. 119th TER, Overland Park, KS 66213)

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