Marsha Marie Parker Maples

Marsha Maples, born Marsha Marie Parker, beloved mother, healer, collector of wonders, and fierce advocate for love above all things, passed away on May 8, 2025, at the age of 66. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, strength, and care that will echo far beyond her years. She is survived by her two sons, Jacob and James, who carry forward her memory and spirit.

Marsha was born on June 22, 1958, and throughout her life, she embodied a deep devotion to the well-being of others. As a nurse for 37 years, she served with extraordinary tenderness and integrity at Research Medical Center, Lee’s Summit Hospital, and Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Her hands healed thousands, and her presence brought calm in times of fear and pain. Her work was more than a profession—it was an expression of her sacred calling to love and serve.

To her family, friends, and the many souls who found their way to her door, Marsha was simply “Mom.” She opened her heart and her home without hesitation. She mothered not just her own children, but anyone in need of a safe harbor, a kind word, or a place to belong. Her house was filled with warmth, laughter, comfort—and the occasional rescued animal or human who simply needed someone to believe in them.

A follower of nature-based spirituality, Marsha believed in living in harmony with the world around her. She believed that love was life’s greatest purpose and the highest form of truth. She had a special gift for collecting the small, the strange, and the significant—whether it was a forgotten trinket, a curious antique, or a person whose light had gone dim. In her hands, everything and everyone found new value.

A memorial celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, May 31st, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Heartland Cremation and Burial Society, located in Raytown, Missouri. All are welcome to join in honoring her extraordinary life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to Children’s Mercy Hospital of Kansas City, a place she held dear and served with compassion for many years.

Marsha Marie Parker will be remembered as a woman of open arms, fierce love, and boundless grace—a mother to many, a healer to more, and a soul who made the world softer and kinder simply by being in it.