Martha “Annie” Ann Dyke, a beloved sister, aunt, and friend, quietly departed this world on Monday, February 3, 2025, at the age of 89, at Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, MO. A Celebration of Life for Annie will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2025, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM at the Gamber Community Center in Lee’s Summit, MO, where friends and family will gather to honor her beautiful life and share a potluck meal (please bring a dish if you’d like).
Born on November 28, 1935, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Annie was the eighth child of Otis LeRoy and Frances Lucille “Fanny” (Clark) Dyke. She lived her entire life in her cherished hometown, where she created a legacy of love and joy that will endure in the hearts of all who knew her. Annie graduated from Lee’s Summit High School with the Class of 1953, being the first class to graduate from the current LSHS building at 291 and 50 Hwy. Soon after, she began her remarkable career with Southwestern Bell. As one of the first switchboard operators in Lee’s Summit, Annie dedicated herself to the telecommunications industry, continuing her journey with the company until it became AT&T. Her dedication and warmth touched the lives of countless colleagues and customers alike.
Annie was known as the epitome of the fun aunt. With an abundance of love in her heart, she embraced her nieces and nephews as her own, and her spirit of joy extended to her great-nieces and great-nephews, who she cherished like grandchildren. She delighted in creating happy memories, whether dressing up as a clown for family gatherings or gathering with friends at the Gamber Community Center to play cards with her sisters.
Throughout her life, she was deeply committed to giving back to her community. As a lifelong volunteer, Annie devoted countless hours to the Southwestern Bell Pioneers and participated in various projects across Missouri and Kansas. She also engaged actively in local endeavors, working at voting booths, the Lee’s Summit Museum, and the Gamber Community Center, among many others. Her contributions touched many lives and left an indelible mark on her community.
A fervent organizer, Annie enjoyed planning class reunions over the years, where she would relish in the sweet nostalgia of reunions with old friends. Her laughter and joyful spirit will be profoundly missed, but her memory will forever resonate in the stories and lives she touched. She lived a life full of love, laughter, and countless memories.
Annie was preceded in death by her parents; her siblings: Raymond Dyke, James Dyke, Harry Dyke, Thomas Dyke, Sarah Wendel, Dorothy Batman, Joe Dyke, Carol Cleveland, and Florence Jones; her brothers-in-law: Eldon Wendel, Dick Batman, Thomas Beall, and George Cleveland; and her sisters-in-law: Florence Dyke, Patty Dyke, Dorothy Dyke, Barb Dyke, and Judy Dyke. Annie is survived by her sister, Mary Beall; her brother, Otis (Francie) Dyke; 35 nieces and nephews; and many great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces, great-great-nephews, and friends.
