Jean Marie Kenison

Jean Marie Kenison finished her life here on Earth on the morning of March 7, 2026 at the age of 95 in Wichita, Kansas. She was born in Salina, Kansas on July 29, 1930, the eldest of three daughters to Beulah and Charles Kenison. Jean grew up in Salina, attended Kansas Wesleyan University, and graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in home economics and business. She accepted and defended her role as an avid Jayhawk fan in a Kansas State family. After college, Jean worked as an executive in the food industry for companies such as Stouffer’s Restaurants, John Sexton and Company, Sara Lee Corporation, and Bishop Buffets. Her career moved her around the country to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York City, Chicago, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she settled in her retirement before moving in her final years to be near family in Wichita. In 1988, Jean published her very own cookbook, Cooking with Love. Her professional talent and love for cooking was present in all aspects of her life, as she would often bake cinnamon rolls for her fellow church members, cook meals for presbytery meetings and youth groups, and make all kinds of homemade delights at any given time for her beloved family and friends.

Outside of her professional life, Jean was a worldwide traveler and adventurer, having traveled to each of the fifty states, all seven continents, and countless countries and sites. Her favorite trip by far was an expedition she took to Antarctica in January 1997, which she called “the most pristine place in the world.” Yet, she never needed to travel around the world to find new adventures, as she always found new things to do in the places she lived. Jean’s other great love was music and appreciation than spanned the musical spectrum. She was a patron and attendee of many concerts and events in the places she lived, from symphonies and operas to musicals and college jazz concerts. Jean also had a big heart to care for and serve her neighbors, serving many various roles at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago (where she was recognized as Individual Volunteer of the Year in 1976) and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids. In her retirement, Jean also volunteered at St. Luke’s Hospital, Green Square Meals, and the Ecumenical Community Center in Cedar Rapids. She also went above and beyond for her family, gifting all of her nieces and nephews a trip to Chicago for their seventh birthday, planning all her parents’ anniversary parties, and sending all of her family letters and cards so that we knew, without a doubt, that she was always thinking of us.

To her family, she will always be remembered for being not only a gifted baker and cook able to identify the ingredients of a dish with just one taste, but also one of the kindest, most loving, and most supportive people we will ever know. Our Aunt Jean was proud of us every step of the way and made sure we knew it always. Jean is preceded in death by her two younger sisters, Betty and Sue. Her legacy carries on through her nieces and nephew, Jan, Patty, Kim, and John, and countless great-nieces, great-nephews, and other loved ones. Memorials in her memory can be made to First Presbyterian Church (230 W Rusk St, Tyler, TX 75701) or Klothes Kloset (402 E 2nd St N, Wichita, KS 67202).