Mary Winden-Donnelly
Share
Let the family know you care by sharing this tribute
Mary Winden-Donnelly, 75, of Kansas City, MO, passed away peacefully on May 15th, 2025. Mary was born July 12th, 1949, in Manhattan Kansas, to the late Ivan Winden and Mary Adams Winden.
Mary grew up the youngest of three children in Manhattan Kansas. She graduated from Luckey High School in 1967, where she was a gifted pianist and organist for the church. She graduated from Kansas State University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in Humanities, and received her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from the same university in 1977. During these years she worked as a children’s librarian, student coordinator of the KSU Women’s Resource Center, director of the Teen Outreach Center, and coordinator of the Friendship Tutoring Program.
Mary went on to a long and accomplished career of public service in Kansas City. She served as the acting director of Bethany Medical Center’s Chemical Dependency Programs, director of Catholic Community Services Marriage and Family Counseling and Substance Abuse Programs, faculty at Kansas City Kansas Community College and Friends University, and as a therapist in private practice for over twenty years.
Mary was also a devoted wife and mother, a gifted musician and cook, and radiated kindness, humor, and caring to the many lives she touched.
She was preceded in death by her husband James Donnelly, sister Barbara Compton and brother David Winden, and is survived and deeply missed by her son Samuel Donnelly, nieces Annette Saunders and Amy Degenhardt, and nephews Will and Rob Compton.
Mary was a dear friend and much respected colleague. Her humor, generosity, and deep care for others is a tremendous loss to all who knew her. I so clearly remember her quick laugh and sparkly eyes whenever we had a chance to quietly relax or have crazy fun together after a day of work. My condolences go out to her family, and especially to her son, Sam.
I’ll miss you, Mary.
My husband Quinton grew up at the same time as Mary in Manhattan KS although they did not meet each other until the 70’s at K-State. They dated for a period of time and later on when they were both married to other people got their families together in Kansas City. Over the years, Mary kept in touch with our family and was such a good friend to myself, Laurie(Quinton’s wife). When Quinton became ill she “sent special prayers” through some Nuns that she knew and reassured me that they would “work” and give me strength. The prayers did work and gave Quinton and I more time to be together with family. Mary was such a valuable friend and citizen to her community and will be deeply missed by everyone.