Mary Jane Thum

Mrs. Mary Jane Thum, 97, passed away peacefully October 7, 2018 in Atchison, Kansas. She was born on June 19, 1921 in Buffalo, New York, to Albertine (Andrle) and William Reilly, and grew up in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from UCLA with a BS in zoology. She worked, during World War II, in the Douglas Aircraft factory in LA, and, after the war, as a secretary for shipping companies in LA and in Buffalo, NY, where she met her husband, John Joseph "Joe" Thum. After their marriage in 1948, the couple lived near Rochester, NY, before moving to Atchison, KS, in 1953 where they raised their family. In 1998, they moved to Kansas City.

Mary Jane was a loving mother and role-model to her four daughters, Mary Thum (Anthony Bonanno) of London, England, and Bologna, Italy; Ellie Folsom (Rick) of Atchison, KS; Kathleen Toney (David) of Leawood, KS; and Margaret McNeil (Dennis).

Her long life was distinguished by active engagement with a range of community activities, often in leadership roles, including a term on the Atchison City Commission and membership in the Atchison Art Association (as a founding member), Junior Guild, Newcomers Club, Atchison Hospital Auxiliary, and Atchison branches of the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters. For several years, she led a troop of Girl Scouts at the Sacred Heart School.

Mary Jane was also a life-long bridge enthusiast and participated in book clubs and an investment club. Her other interest included politics, gourmet cooking and visiting restaurants, bird-watching, crossword puzzles and painting; for several years, she and her husband were enthusiastic members of a square-dancing group in Atchison. And for more than 30 years, they enjoyed the waterside cottage they had built at the Lake of the Ozarks, where they entertained family and friends with boating, water skiing and swimming.

Throughout their lives, Mary Jane and Joe were committed travelers, annually visiting their daughter Mary and her family in Europe, cruising waterways in the Caribbean and Europe, and touring many other far-flung destinations, such as Australia and New Zealand, Russia, Alaska and Hawaii. And for 17 years, they never missed spending six weeks every spring on the Costa del Sol of Spain where they cultivated a circle of retired friends who joined them there from all over the United States.

Mary Jane was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 63 years, Joe and her daughter Margaret. She is survived by her three other daughters; her brother William Reilly; 5 grandchildren: Chad Folsom (Amy), Abby Johnson (Tony), Andrew Rosdahl, Sarah thum-Bonanno, and Peter Thum-Bonanno (Stephanie); 4 step-grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.

She will be deeply missed by her family and many friends for the enthusiasm, sense of humor and intellectual curiosity that she possessed until the very end of her life.

Mass of Christian burial will take place at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Atchison at 2:00 PM on Saturday, October 27 ^th . Family will be available for visitation a half hour before the mass and for half an hour after mass.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Benedictine College or Maur Hill-Mount Academy School in Atchison and may be sent or delivered in care of Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home, 208 North 5 ^th Street, Atchison, Kansas 66002.