Mary K. Rabe

Mary Katherine Rabe, born on December 30, 1941, in Topeka, Kansas passed away September 14, 2024. Her mother and father were John E. and Agnes R. (Grace) Kennedy. Mary married Gerald “Jerry” Robert Rabe at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on February 27, 1960. They celebrated 53 years of marriage before Jerry’s passing on March 22, 2013. Mary and Jerry had four children together: Christy, Mike (Michelle), Annie, Bryan (Ronda); and nine grandchildren: Ashley (Sean), Mykala (Karly), Jerry, Christian (Casey), Shane, Abbie (Sam), Kelsey, Alyssa (Andrew), and Gracie (Austin); and seven great-grandchildren.

After graduating high school at Hayden Catholic High School, Mary began work at Memorial Hospital in Topeka, Kansas, where she formed lifelong friendships.

Mary loved her family dearly and organized her family’s Sunday dinners and holiday dinners for over 40 years. She was an excellent cook and baker. While both of her parents were Irish, Mary loved the German church community she’d married into and she with her husband Jerry made some of the best krautstreudals. Mary was also known for her fried chicken, pork chops and dressing, coconut cream pie, holiday candies, and much more. Mary was proud of the time that she could share her home cooking when she and Jerry started a small catering business in Topeka.

Some of Mary’s best memories would include time spent on Grandma and Grandpa Kennedy’s front porch in Oakland as she would sit with her brothers and their wives watching their children and cousins play together in the front yard. Mary and Jerry were most happy when they were with family. They loved to go out on their pontoon boat and spend afternoons on Perry Lake, going to the grandchildren’s sporting events, following the Hayden High School Wildcats in football, volleyball, softball and basketball, and going for drives throughout Kansas in search of new candy stores.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Gerald “Jerry” Rabe, and her two daughters Christy Rabe and Annie (Rabe) Paslay, her sister Joane Kennedy, and her two brothers John “Jack” (Martha) Kennedy and Bill Kennedy.

Mary is survived by her brother Max (Alita) Kennedy and her two sons Mike Rabe and Bryan Rabe.

A memorial visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, from 12:30 P.M. to 1:00 P.M., at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 P.M., at the church. Inurnment will take place at Mt. Calvary Cemetery-Topeka.

Memorial Contributions are suggested to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Topeka. 

To share a memory or to leave condolences, please visit, www.brennanmathenafh.com.

Arrangements entrusted to Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home, 800 SW 6th Ave., Topeka, KS 66603.