Kathleen (Kathy) Youmans Duckworth (née Boone) passed away peacefully on Christmas Day 2024, at home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Kathy was born April 21, 1955, in San Pedro, California to Phyllis Glover and Gordon Youmans, both now deceased. Kathy was the third of four Youmans children: Debbie (deceased), Kenneth (deceased) and Robin, and later gained a fourth sibling when Phyllis married Gene Glover and they had another daughter, Cindy (deceased). Kathy and her sister Robin had a close bond that only strengthened over the years.
Kathy spent most of her early years in California, first in Northern and later in Southern California near Huntington Beach. After moving with her siblings and mother to Costa Mesa, Kathy found community in a local church with new friends. She attended Edison High School where she was active in the choir and developed her love of music.
In 1973, she married Frank Boone and relocated to Kansas City, Missouri. They had two children: Kristi and Matthew, to whom she was devoted. Her own family were so attached to Kathy that they relocated to Kansas City from California as well. The family remained exceptionally close, sharing vacations and lake retreats for decades—sometimes all piled in the same cabin.
For 33 years Kathy worked at Kansas City Life Insurance Company, first on the switchboard and then in the Claims Department. In her years at KCL, Kathy made countless friendships that endured even after her retirement. She also met her future husband and great love at KCL, Brian Duckworth.
Kathy and Brian married May 1, 1998, and remained devoted to each other for the rest of her life. Brian and Kathy were exceptionally well suited and provided peaceful and nurturing support to one another through trial and triumph. Kathy and Brian’s foundations as a married couple were bolstered by their involvement at First Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit, where Kathy was an active member of the choir, volunteered on committees and in activities with her Sunday class, and helped in the Nursery and Real Moms groups, often alongside Brian, who is a deacon there. Her love for children was well known—she also showered love on her grandchildren, grandnieces and nephews and loved to gather at the pool for summer swimming with them and three of her nieces, Shannon, Karli and Kaylene Whited and their children whenever they could.
Like her mother Phyllis, Kathy enjoyed travel and regularly journeyed to see her California friends and family, often with her sister Robin, and around the country with Brian in their motorhome. She regularly traveled to visit Kristi after she moved to England for postgraduate studies, and they had several adventures together—her favorite of which was their “Sound of Music” inspired trip to Austria. Kathy and Brian also loved taking their grandson Quinton on summer trips in the motorhome and when Matt and Quinton came to Kansas City, they frequently went to KC Royals games.
Kathy Duckworth is survived by her husband Brian, of the home; her two children: daughter, Kristi Boone (Leeds, England), and son, Matthew Boone (Springfield, MO), and three grandchildren: Quinton Boone (Springfield, MO), and Shelby and Seth Lexow (Houston, TX). She was also treasured by her sister and brother-in-law, Robin and Tim Seek and will be dearly missed by all who called her their “Aunt Kathy” and by many other family and friends.
Kathy’s family welcomes you to attend a memorial service celebrating Kathy’s life, to be held January 13, 2025 at First Baptist Church of Lee’s Summit.
Visitation to be held from 1 p.m. with the service beginning at 3 p.m.
There will also be a livestream for those at a distance or unable to attend in person.
FBC Lee’s Summit, 2 NE Douglas Street, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063. Map: https://g.co/kgs/YwPRvY5
If you’d like, in lieu of flowers, feel free to offer a donation to First Baptist on the day. They have provided so much support to the family (and the wider community), not just in these times, but always.
