Jane Blando Obituary

Jane Frances Gabhart Blando, 87, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2026 at her home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, surrounded by her family.

Jane was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She was defined by her strong Roman Catholic faith, which fueled her staunch love and support of her family, reliance on prayer, and willingness to help others in need. She saw the good in everyone. She was fiercely proud of her Irish heritage on both her maternal and paternal sides and she eagerly passed along 19th century family stories about the migration waves from County Mayo, Ireland to Canada before her forebears settled in north central Kansas. These stories invariably involved both triumph and tragedy, but emphasized the importance of faith, hard work, and perseverance.

Jane had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and many Roman Catholic saints. She made pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina on several occasions, as well as trips to Ireland, Italy and France. Jane was a Third Order Lay Carmelite. She prayed regularly with several rosary groups, prayed for priests and seminarians, and requested Masses in honor of those in need. Jane supported many church ministries. She often prayed novenas and especially loved participating in the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. As an adult, she was a parishioner at St Francis Xavier, Christ the King, Our Lady of Good Counsel, and Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Churches.

Jane Frances Gabhart was born June 16,1938 in Kansas City, Mo. She was the second child of Francis Michael Gabhart and Evelyn Regina Harr. Frank and Evelyn were both from north central Kansas and met in Kansas City in the early 1930s. Growing up with three sisters and two brothers one short block from St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church in Kansas City, Jane’s childhood centered on school, church, and playing with her siblings and friends. A favorite childhood summer activity was annual visits to her maternal grandparents in Greenleaf, Kansas. After finishing grade school at St. Therese Little Flower, Jane attend Bishop Hogan Catholic High School and graduated in 1956.

Jane had an avid love of reading that she extended to her family. Her home had an abundance of books and magazines, and she prioritized reading bedtime stories to her children. She loved long visits to museums, watching documentaries, and diving deeper into world history.

In 1961, Jane married Carl Anthony Blando of Kansas City, Mo. Their union produced six children. The couple divorced in 1989. She remained close to her ex-husband’s family, particularly his parents, Phillip & Katherine Spinello Blando.

With a large family to support, Jane returned to work in 1977 and was a secretary for the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. In 1981, she was hired as a secretary for the Kansas City branch of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). She dutifully supported the federal government’s key banking regulator for 22 years before retiring in 2003.

Jane was a devoted mother, who wished nothing more than for her children to reach their full God-given potential. She had a wry sense of humor and an infectious laugh. As a working mother, she made as much time for school and sports activities as was practical. After working all day, she often came straight home, prepared dinner, did laundry, helped with homework, refereed a dispute (or two), and helped get kids to bed. Saturday was for her children’s sports activities and grocery shopping, and Sunday was for Mass. She liked to cook on Sundays, including the Blando family meatball and tomato sauce recipe, fried chicken, or her world-famous homemade tacos.

After retirement, Jane spent much of her time visiting her children and grandchildren all over the country. She enjoyed regular visits to California, Illinois, Indiana, Texas and Washington, DC.

As she battled cancer in the last year of life, Jane was an inspiration to all. She had complete trust in God and never feared death. The family wishes to especially acknowledge the love and support of Charlene Klebenstone, Mike and Kathy Gabhart, and Lisa Boniello Moynihan.

Jane is survived by her six children: Carl (Owen Keenhen) of Chicago; Mary MacDonell (Donald) of South Bend, Indiana; Denise Moore of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; Phillip (Katie) of Washington, DC; Timothy (Monica) of Houston, and Jon (Kim) of Los Angeles.

She is survived by 16 grandchildren: Allison (John) MacDonell Black; Donny MacDonell; Katie MacDonell; Eileen MacDonell; John Paul MacDonell; Colin MacDonell; Mary Moore; Colin Moore; Ryan Moore; George Blando; Katherine Blando; Paxton Blando; Loch Blando; Tinsley Blando; William Blando; and Sue Blando and 6 great grand-children: Mara Black, Brigid Black, Soren Black, Fiona Black, Orla Black, and Anselm Black.

In addition, Jane is survived by three siblings, all of Kansas City, Mo: her sister, Charlene Klebenstone; her brother and his wife, Michael and Kathy Gabhart, and a second brother and his wife, Gerald and Millie Gabhart. She is also survived by dozens of nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly as well as extended family in Nebraska and California.

Jane was pre-deceased by her parents as well as two sisters, their husbands and her brother-in-law: Diane Gabhart Morris (Joe Morris); Mary Patricia Gabhart Biondo (Marion Biondo) and James Klebenstone, Sr. Two nieces and a nephew also pre-deceased her: Constance Klebenstone Gonzales, Caren Klebenstone Smith, and Jeffrey Cleveland.

Visitation will be 4-7 p.m., Thursday, February 26, 2026, at Muehlebach Chapel Funeral Home, 6800 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, February 27, 2026, at 9 a.m. at St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church, 5814 Euclid Ave., Kansas City, MO. Burial will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to Catholic Community Health Hospice. We wish to thank Amanda, Siarah, Jamie, Shannon, Godrey and the entire hospice team for their end-of-life care for Jane. In addition, we wish to thank the St. Luke’s East oncology team and the staff at St Anthony’s Senior Living facility.