In Remembrance Of
Kathleen Perry
Kathleen Louise Perry, 92, of Smithville, MO, passed away peacefully, Saturday, July 25, 2026.
She was born on July 19, 1934, to LeRoy Thompson Frisbie, Jr and Seleucia Hubbard Frisbie in Kansas City, Missouri. She grew up and attended school in Kansas City and graduated from Paseo High School. She worked as a secretary at Bendix during her early married life. She was a realtor and later was a substitute teacher and bus driver in Smithville, Missouri.
On November 6, 1954, she was united in marriage to Thomas Richard Perry. After their marriage they lived in Kansas City. In 1963 they moved to a farm in Smithville, Missouri with their three children. This farm was purchased by the Corps of Engineers to build Smithville Lake. It is the 3rd farm from the dam. Kathleen and Tom purchased a new farm, dubbed “Landmark Farm” named after their horse Landmark. For the past ten years, she resided at The Garden Village in Kansas City, Missouri. She made many friends there, who became like family to her.
Kathleen’s love of horses stemmed from her youth when she rode her horse, Thunder, to school. She planted fruit trees in every corner of Landmark Farm so she could ride her horses, Susie, Landmark or Goldie, and pick a fruit snack for her ride.
She was a life-long member of the First Baptist Church, now Prevail Church. Even though her children were raised Catholic, she took them with her each summer to Vacation Bible School. She was a Sunday School teacher, den leader and 4-H horses’ leader for her children and their friends. Proud of her heritage, she was a member of the DAR. She was known for her spicy personality, camouflage outfits, quirky hats, colorful clothes, sparkly doodads, painted fingernails and strong, feisty, “ornery” opinions. She was a little bit like Hallmark’s Maxine!
Kathleen is preceded in death by her husband (Tom); parents (Roy and Lucia), daughter (Kris), brother (Lee), sister (Pat), sister-in-law (Marilyn), granddaughter (Logi), nephew (Doug), brother-in-law Dan S. Perry and his wife Betty.
She is survived by her sons, Tom Perry (Tam), Hillsboro, KS, Tim Perry (Judith), Kansas City, MO; son-in-law, Kelly Lager, Colo, IA; eight beloved grandchildren, Charles, Sarah, Hannah, Lucy, Isaac, Jessie, Claire, and David; six great-grandchildren, Elijah, Luke, Natalie, Oliver, Lila and Moriah; sister-in-law, Marianne Morales, Harrisonville, MO; seven nephews and two nieces; other relatives and many friends.
Special thanks to her United Energy Workers (UEW) team including Lisa House, Melissa Henry, 24/7 nurses, Paula Pruitt and Kelley Johnson, the Interim Hospice team as well as Gail, Morgan, Gene, and Maya, her Garden Village care givers for over ten years.
Visitation: 1:00 p.m. with Funeral Services immediately following at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Prevail Church, 300 South Bridge Street, Smithville, Missouri. Funeral services presided over by Kathleen’s nephew, Dr. David Frisbie.
Burial: Goss Cemetery
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: One Heart Equestrian Therapy c/o Kelly Lager 67826 Lincoln Hwy Colo, IA 50056 www.onehearthorses.org
Web Link
Link for donations to One Heart Equestrian Therapy
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Service Details
Goss Cemetery, Smithville, MO.
1:00-2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Prevail Church, 300 South Bridge Street, Smithville, Missouri.
2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Prevail Church, 300 South Bridge Street, Smithville, Missouri.
Comments & condolences
4 comments
Morgan Brown
Queen Kathleen, getting to care for and know you over the last several years was so much fun! You were so feisty and hilarious and also very caring. I treasure the cards you gave to me and enjoyed the stories of your life. I’m so grateful we share faith in Christ and will see you in heaven someday! Your loved ones are in my prayers!
Donnie Land
Tim, so sorry for your loss. It’s never easy losing your mom, but it sounds like she had a long and colorful life. God bless you all.
Reyne Reyes
Kathleen Perry was a treasure from the moment I met her till the last days of her life. Even though I had only known her for a year at Garden Village it seemed like so much longer, but yet not quite enough. Her smile & sense of humor immediately put me at ease when I first started working at Garden Village. I am the current bus driver & Kathleen was quick to announce to me & all the other people around that she had also been a bus driver. Then she proceeded to regale us with stories of her driving days! They were always entertaining & ended with some type of lesson learned. Which would always cause me to laugh out loud & get a big smile or a wink out of Kathleen. I would often come to the dining room just to hear her call out my name & notify me that she was, “Going Shopping at Walmart today!” As she would say, “My Beloved Son Timothy gave me $40 to spend!” Her joy & the smile on her face was contagious & everyone who met her was instantly happier because they knew her. She became my friend & will be immensely missed here. My condolences to her family & friends during this terribly difficult time.
Tom Bruch
What a wonderful, good-hearted, and generous family Kathleen and Tom raised! I have lots of great memories from long-ago good times at the Perry farm and at Green Lake family gatherings in Minnesota. Mary and I send our heartfelt condolences to all those close to Kathleen.