Mary Lee Cobb Hedrick
Share
Mary Lee (nee Cobb) Hedrick, May 23, 1938 – June 24, 2022 was born at home and raised in Wilmore, Kansas. Her parents, Austin Lee and Mary Gertrude Cobb owned the local telephone company and Mary Lee ran the switchboard by the time she was four years old. She learned to count the number of times the second hand circled the clock so her mother could bill long distance calls. Lee and her little brother, Myrl David Cobb (b. 1942) grew up in a close-knit group of over 60 first cousins. She graduated from Wilmore High School in 1956 in a class of nine seniors, and often recalled how the class mothers spent the year raising money for the senior trip by selling cookies and chili at games. That trip to Louisiana ignited Lee’s passion for travel. She became a flight attendant for United Airlines in 1960 and enjoyed visiting places like the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
Lee attended St. Joseph’s in Wichita, KS where she earned her Registered Nursing certification and began a beloved lifelong career as a nurse. She later earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at St. Mary of the Plains College in 1984, working and raising children simultaneously – truly a superwoman. Lee worked in emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, and joined the Visiting Nurses Association of Douglas County in 1969, where she worked as an administrator and nurse until her retirement in 1999.
Lee believed that God loves all people, regardless of race, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. She protected, loved and stood up for all people through her nursing practices, donations, and church activity. She volunteered for multiple community assistance programs such as Health Care Access, assisted in rebuilding homes after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and acted as a nurse onsite in Greensburg, Kansas after the devastating tornado there in 2007.
She was married to David Arthur Hough (b. 1937) from 1961-1989, and lived in Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey and Ft. Allen, Puerto Rico until 1963. They finally settled down in Lawrence, KS to raise two daughters, Janice Lee Hough (1963-1988) and Karen Sue Hough. They traveled to Spain and Hawaii, drove all over the United States and spent every summer waterskiing, fishing and grilling at her parents’ cabin on Lake Kahola outside Emporia, KS.
In 1993, Lee took an extended European trip with her daughter, Karen. She often visited Chicago and New York to see Karen, and her beloved son-in-law, Todd Majidzadeh. She eventually took each of her three grandchildren on a trip to Europe after their 8th grade graduations, Timothy S. Majidzadeh (b.1998), Kate C. Majidzadeh (b. 2000) and Trey A. Majidzadeh (b. 2004). She and Karen also enjoyed a trip to Taiwan and China in 2017.
Lee married Thomas Alva Hedrick (b. 1934) in 1999, gaining a stepdaughter, Nancy J. Hedrick. They enjoyed 23 years as a couple dedicated to their community, their church, and their schools. They loved to host students and athletes at their home, and were KU and Baker fans to the core, never missing a game or event. The were proud grandparents and attended every concert, XC meet, drama production, holiday, party, graduation, soccer and basketball game possible of “The Big Three” as Tom named them.
Lee loved her garden and served as a member and the President of the Prairie Acres Garden Club of Kansas. She served on the Board of Meals on Wheels of Lawrence, KS. She became an honorary alumnus of Baker University where she endowed The Mary Lee Hedrick Scholarship in Nursing for non-traditional students. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Lawrence for 59 years, and served as Parish Nurse. She was an integral part of the United Methodist Women. As a founding investor in the expansion of the church to West Lawrence, many credit her with the vision to see the need to expand, and be the driving force for building West Campus for FUMC.
Lee was a fabulous cook, and often sent surprise boxes of home baked goodies, cut-out articles, and gifts to her family and friends, just when they most needed a boost. She will be remembered for her kindness, happy energy, integrity, and love.
She joins many loved ones in heaven, especially her parents and daughter. She requested that tributes be made to Meals on Wheels of Lawrence, https://www.lawrencemow.org/ or the Visiting Nurses Association of Douglas County https://www.kansasvna.org/ or may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.
A Celebration of Life service and luncheon will be held in her honor on Thursday, August 11 at 11:00am CT, at the First United Methodist Church, West Campus, 867 US-40, Lawrence, KS 66049.
Tom: My condolences for your loss. George Catt
Tom and Karen,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Mary Lee was always very sweet to me and my children. I will be praying for peace for your family.
Tom and Family
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time and I am sorry for your lose! Tom, all the times we got together to talk about Baker and my support of the Athletic department, you would always talk about your wife but I never had the chance to meet her. I know that since you are a wonderful friend, I am sure that, like most marriages, it is the wife that makes the man and she would have been a wonderful friend as well! My best to you and your Family my friend!!
Tom,
I am so sorry to read this news of Lee’s passing. She was wonderful, and what a great pair you two made. You are included in my prayers, my friend. Blessings to you and your family!
Karen,
I’m so sorry to hear of your Mom’s passing. I have lots of fond memories of spending time at your home. May you find comforting during this difficult time.
Tom and Family,
I am the lucky girl who lived next door to you for over 15 years.
Lee and I were great friends and enjoyed talking about our families and grandkids. She was always so thoughtful and kind to me and will be dearly missed.
Prayers and love to her family and friends. ✝️
Dear Karen, We send our love and a grateful heart to you for the significant contribution your mother gave to our church and to us personally. grace & peace, Virgil & Elaine Brady
Tom,
Sorry for your loss of beloved Lee!!
Our prayers are with you! Memories last forever!!!
Terry & Sandy Shockley
Tom
I was very sorry to hear of this news. You are in my thoughts. I always enjoyed how proud you sounded when you spoke of Lee.
Lee was such a vibrant, kind, and welcoming person and neighbor. Although I didn’t spend as much time with her as I would have liked, I will truly miss her. I always planned to be a better friend after I retired next year and now I won’t have that chance. Reading her very interesting obituary made me even sadder that I won’t get to know her better now.
To Mary Lee’s family, I was so sadden to learn my dear cousin on the Fisher side of our family was ill, and I never dreamed that this would be our last “twin birthday” together… I loved sharing our phone talks, and our text messages. I loved hearing her tell me of our grandmother Fisher and the bedtime prayers for each of her children and their children …I love that we got to share our love of flowers and being a nurse, only a nurse can understand the love and sacrifices we make to provide to others in need……rest now and some day we shall see each other again.
Love Janie
Tom and Karen,
I am so sorry to learn of my long time neighbor and friends passing. She was a true friend and a gentle person. I truly enjoyed running into her over these many years and I was so happy for the two of you for finding each other for the many years you had together. I am so sad that you lost her as all the rest of her friends.
With much love buddy and all my best warm wishes.
Dear Spouse and Family,
I knew she was special but after reading her obituary, I know she touched a lot of lives. I will keep you in my prayers.
Tom – I am sorry for your loss of this lovely lady. It was also a pleasure to visit with her at Baker events, especially the football games that she so enjoyed. I will sure miss seeing her there. You are a special man and great friend – my thoughts and prayers are with you in the days and weeks to come.
So sorry to hear of our loss as I was a student nurse with Lee at St. Joseph Nurses Training, I always thought we would have time to spend together and have been thinking of her lately. She was a friend I always admired along with her best friend Rita who also passed on this year.