Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church on Friday Dec. 5, 2025. Loving wife of Joseph Spencer. Beloved mother of Matt (Jessica) and Nick Spencer. Cherished grandmother of Cameron and Alaina. Dear sister of Shirley (Alan) Varga and the late Marilyn (Ronnie) Dohrman. Our dear aunt, cousin and friend.
Mary was a Registered Nurse at Incarnate Word and St. Mary’s Health Care.
“I like glitz and colors bright.
This is how I’d like the sight:
Wear pink, purple, or the color teal.
These are my favorites; That’s for real!
Though any bright color or glitz will do.
Just don’t wear black or I’ll come back to haunt you.
Sarcasm, irony, jokes, and a laugh …
May that be my final epitaph.”
-Mary K. Spencer
Services; Funeral from Kutis South County Chapel (5255 Lemay Ferry) on Mon Dec. 29th 9:30AM for 10AM mass at Mary Mother of the Church (Kerth Rd.). Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Visitation Sunday 12/28 from 4-8PM. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Sunshine Ministries or to the charity of your choice. https://www.sunshineministries.org/
Mary Kay was a force to be told. She was smart, fun and full of laughter. She would do anything for you if it was within her power. I attended college with her and have loved her ever since. It was a privilege to call her my friend. RIP Mary Kay❤️
Joe, Matt and Nick,
Mary K brought such joy and laughter into my life as well as so many others. During the last few months she was in rehab, we had some great times playing games, singing songs with all the guest entertainers, eating ice cream on Fridays and everything in between. Her wit and poetry never ceased to amaze me. Even during some of hardest days, she. Was able to convey her trials and disappointments in a way that made us admirer her even more. It was an honor to call her my friend.
I attended an ACTS Retreat with Mary and was so impressed with her kindness and her Sense of Humor. I will definitely miss her warm smiles and I will be looking her up when I get to heaven.
Such a wonderful nurse and person. A great sense of humor. Such a brave fight she put up. You will be missed.
Joe, Matt, Jessica, and Nick,
We were so sad to hear the news. Mary Kay was such a sweet and funny lady! We loved our times with her at family functions and our interactions from afar on social media. She will be missed. We are thinking of you all and sending our love and prayers!
Love,
Matt and Jill DeMoor
I am saddened by this. I could always count of Mary Kay for a laugh or her funnies! She was such a special person, to me for sure.
I don’t or own pink and purple but sine green is my favorite color I certainly do teal for her. I can’t promise not to shed a tear either so please don’t haunt me. Love you Mary Kay! I know you are heaven bound cause you are such a good person… until we meet again my friend.
Such a warm and talented lady. She was so brave and never let her illness show. Always happy. Loved her
A remarkable lady! Your battle is over! Rest in the arms of Jesus! Peace!
Mary Kay was a darling! Rest in peace. I was thankful I got to know her through Senior Missouri
Accept my condolences to the family and friends of Mary K. Always with a kind and joyful spirit..It was a pleasure working with her at IWH.,which, we were family.Forever loved, Cynthia P.night nurse
I remember Mary K in the 2018 MS Senior Missouri Pageant. She was so afraid she didn’t have a talent. Well, she brought the house down with her comedy routine as a nurse. My favorite line of hers was “You can’t fix stupid”. She will always be missed, with her jokes and wonderful smile.
Deborah Gross
MS Senior Missouri 2014
When I think of Mary Kay the first thing comes to mind is our college days at SEMO where on the third floor at Henderson House she would sometimes sit and study on the hall floor. I think she just loved being around her friends and we all loved being around her. You could always count on a good laugh! That didn’t change when I reconnected with her at a Mary Mother. Even through all her trials, she brought joy! What a gift she was to all who had the opportunity to know her.
Mary Kay was a good friend over the last 30 years and I always appreciated her humor and upbeat perspective on life. She handled her multiple medical issues with that same attitude and humor with her poems and never give up demeanor. She will be missed by many
Condolences to Joe & your family. Kind, considerate, funny yet fierce in dealing with her illness. Mary Kay was a very bright light. RIP💚
Condolences, Matt, and to your family. Seeing her “final epitaph” made me wish I had known her. She sounds fun. God rest her soul.
Mary K, you always made the best of everything. We met my 1st year, nursing school and your 2nd when we roomed in towers north 7th floor, Cape Girardeau. I love the fried pork chops your mom used to send you! Your named both your boys my brothers’s names. I have many fond memories . God bless and be with you and your family. It doesn’t end here; until then💕
2 Corinthians 5:8
Mary Kay was a beautiful lady and was a shining star in our Missouri senior cameo club.
So sorry for her loss. She fought amazing battle, now rest in peace with no more pain.
We will miss her
Suzette allinger
I became acquainted with Mary K while watching her on YouTube during 2016 Ms Senior America Pageant
I was blessed to meet her this year and got to hear her recite her famous line, “Ignorance can be educated, crazies can be medicated, but stupid, you can’t fix stupid. ”
Take your rest.
Gloria Jean Vann
Ms Missouri Senior America 2025
I was so sorry to hear your sad news. I remember Mary Kay as the organizer of the kids’ talent shows at Resurrection. I’m sure that Ellen and her friends have great memories of dancing to “Achy Breaky Heart”! She brought fun and joy to many students and their families. She had a wonderful laugh!
Mary Kay and I worked together at SSM for several years. She always had a smile and kind words for our patients. She was always,always available whenever I needed help. Mary Kay was a bright star,may her star shine in heaven!
Oh so so sorry to hear!!!
Such a wonderful, sweet, genuine, funny, courageous lady. I’m so grateful that we shared Ms. Senior MO. Pageant memories together. Of course she was voted Ms. Congeniality because we all loved her and she was always others centered.
She’s gone too soon but her Spirit lives on in all who knew her! 💕🙏💕
God bless her. She made us all laugh which was a gift to all of us, her sisters in the Mo Cameo Club. She is in the arms of our dear Lord.
Mary Kay was a one of a kind woman. Selfless always thinking of others. Making people laugh despite even latter on all her illness.
Missouri Senior Cameo will miss her.
What a true blessing
I also have been friends with Mary Kay since our college years. We had some exciting adventures together but maybe those need to stay in the vault. She was always up to some shenanigans. She had the most wonderful sense of humor. Even through all the medical difficulties she has endured she would still post funny, rhyming posts on FB. Recently, we’ve been sharing how much our grandsons are alike. Most importantly, she lived her faith. Can’t wait to meet you again on the other side.
My deepest and most sincere sympathy to Joe, Matt, Nick & Mary K’s whole family in the loss of Mary K.
She was truly the strongest, most resilient person I’ve ever met! Despite her countless and very serious health challenges, she had such an exemplary attitude and was such an inspiration to me and so many others. I was absolutely in awe of her in so many ways!
When I’d visit, we always laughed and had so much fun together!. All the staff at Delmar Gardens loved her and wanted to hang out with her on their breaks, because she genuinely and deeply cared for everyone she met.
Gone much too soon, she will be terribly missed. However, there’s comfort knowing she’s no longer suffering. Heaven will be a happier and livelier place with her presence. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that’s her next home!!
RIP, my dear, sweet, talented, funny friend. Knowing and loving you has made my life so much richer. I will miss you dearly!
Evelyn Whitson Brown
Ms MO Senior America 2013
Cameo Club Sister
Such a fun loving genuine soul. Working with her meant plenty of laughs all day long. Rest in peace Mary Kay.