Mary A. Carpenter

Mary A. (Mac) Carpenter, Shawnee, KS, died reluctantly on 13 August, 2016. No immediate funeral or memorial service is planned. Rather, a celebration of life will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers or other acknowledgements, Mac suggested contributions to the Carpenter And Robinson Epilogue (C.A.R.E.) fund in support of speech-language services through The Kansas University Endowment office, 4125 Rainbow Blvd #300, Kansas City, KS 66103. If that doesn't appeal to you, she sincerely encourages you to do something special for someone in your life who could benefit from a little extra attention - including yourself.

Mac, the daughter of Ralph (Carp) and Ruth Carpenter, was born in Marshalltown, IA. Her education included a B.A. degree from St. Mary's College of Notre Dame, IN, which professed to make her "a whole woman" (regrettably, it didn't take). She also received a M.A. and Ph.D. in Speech Pathology from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA (which made no such promises, but did provide her job skills and her professional passion).

Despite her (adamant) predictions that she would never teach, never stay in the same job more than five years, and never marry, she did all three (so much for her predictive abilities). Her professional activities focused on education; she held her last faculty position for over 35 years (in the Hearing and Speech Dept. at KU Medical Center); and she did eventually marry (although much later than some).

Mac's choice in a spouse was a long-time friend, Donald L. Robinson, whom she agreed to marry because (as she described it) he accepted her as she was and didn't flinch when she said there would be no name change and no rings exchanged (and also because she loved him dearly). He remained her best friend throughout their marriage.

The joys of her professional life were her students, her patients, and her colleagues. The joys of her personal life were the people around her and the promise of each day. Her only long-term regret was that her genes didn't allow for her to be remembered as "tall and willowy."

Mac is preceded in death by her parents and a brother, James. Those left behind include her husband ("Bear") and his family, her three siblings and their families, and an unmanageable accumulation of (teddy) bears who just "followed her home" or "had to be rescued." She is hopeful that others will look after all of these dear souls in her absence.