Life has handed them some challenges, but they both continue to flourish in their successful careers and enjoy all that life has to offer.

Marie is a lawyer. She practiced law at Shook Hardy & Bacon for 35+ years and is now retired. She is now involved in numerous volunteer activities. She is on the board of the ACLU of Kansas and is active in the Democratic Party of Johnson County. She and a group of friends select a non-profit organization every month and volunteer with them.

Marie enjoys art. She regularly visits the Nelson and the Kemper and often takes art history classes. She is a self-taught watercolorist and spends many evenings doing needlepoint.

Is Dan just as busy? You bet he is!

Dan is a psychologist. He works with several school districts in the area and evaluates children for the risk of violence. He does a biweekly streaming program on mental health with a co-host from Nairobi, Kenya. He regularly writes a column for his hometown newspaper, the Savannah Reporter, on mental health issues. The column is called Caring for the Mind. He has published a book under the same title with a collection of his first 80 columns. He also has written several columns for the Kansas City Star on police department reform.

Dan and Marie are avid readers and both are involved in book clubs.

Marie was raised in Chevy Chase, MD, just outside of Washington D.C. She went to Georgetown University for her undergrad degree from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and KU for law school. She met her first husband at Georgetown. They married and moved to Lawrence.

Dan was born in Springfield, MO, and grew up in Savannah, MO. He went to MU for his Bachelor’s degree and his PhD, and he attended Vanderbilt for his Master’s – all in psychology.

Their love story began not as strangers meeting for the first time but of two people crossing paths after many years. Dan was initially a friend of Marie’s husband. They were in professional organizations and played tennis together. After Marie got divorced from her first husband she lost touch with Dan. Ten years later, Marie learned that Dan was getting divorced, so she called him to arrange a tennis date. They volleyed a few times but spent most of the time on the court talking and catching up. The talk continued through dinner and into the evening. Nine months later they got married and this May they will celebrate their 30th anniversary.

Dan and Marie share their home with Coconut, their rescue dog whom they adore. Dan saw his picture on a shelter website and fell in love. DNA results show half Great Pyrenees and half a variety of short-legged dogs including beagle and chihuahua.

Their four children are grown and are scattered around the country.

Brendon lives in Washington D.C. with his wife Margaret and their two children Frankie and Josie. Brendon works in public policy for Amazon. Margaret is a lawyer for the FTC.

Christopher lives in San Francisco with his wife Ann. He is a software engineer and works for GoFundMe. Ann works at the Exploratorium, one of the first Science City type museums in the country.

Caroline is nearby in Overland Park with her husband Jason and two children Eloise and Finnegan. She is a teaching coach at Kansas City East High School. James is a production manager at the Kauffman Center.

Camilla lives in Phoenix and works in human resources for American Express.

Dan has ALS, a degenerative neuromuscular disease. His symptoms started six years ago, and he was diagnosed in April of 2022. This diagnosis can hit hard. It profoundly affects both the individual and their loved ones. It’s life-changing and often overwhelming.

They have adapted to the challenges this brings. Dan has a power wheelchair and a van that is wheelchair accessible. They also have a terrific team of caregivers who help Dan with everyday needs. Dan likes to enjoy the outdoors and, in nice weather, you will often find him riding around the neighborhood in his chair or taking a walk with Marie and Coconut.

One of their shared passions is traveling. They have taken many wonderful trips in the US and to some exotic places around the world – China, Tibet, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Russia, Kenya, Tanzania, and all parts of Europe, along with many relaxing trips to Hawaii.

Some of their favorite memories are eating dinner with Bedouins under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert, walking along the near-deserted streets of Paris to early morning Mass at Notre Dame on Easter Sunday, waking up to the sounds of the hippos bathing in the nearby river while on safari in Kenya, listening to an a cappella concert in a small provincial Russian town while on a riverboat cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg, having cocktails on the banks of the Nile while watching the native Felucca boats glide by.

Their favorite places are Paris (Marie) and Kenya (Dan). They have loved traveling to new places and learning about new cultures.

For 25 years, their family tradition was to vacation at Corolla, a small beach community on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Marie’s extended family. Marie and her siblings rented big beach houses and hung out together as a family doing puzzles, playing games, and enjoying the relaxing beach vibe. The family dined together every night at one of the houses and dinner was generally followed by a rousing game of Spades.

Although they can’t travel now, they have wonderful memories. Their home is full of great photographs and mementos they collected over the years from their adventures.

They now cherish their lives at home. They both enjoy photography and many of the framed photographs in the house were taken by them. Dan is a collector of objects including cameras, oriental carpets, and watches.

Dining out takes them to Cafe Provence, Story, Tavern, Pierponts, JJ’s, Aqua Penny’s, and the Bristol. Good food, good service, and a quiet atmosphere allowing conversation keep them going back to these venues.

Christmas is their favorite holiday. Marie decorates the house immediately after Thanksgiving. Some or all of the kids come home and they love having the family together to celebrate.

Quality time with family and friends is high on the list of priorities. They often host dinner parties for friends – enjoying the patio in the summer or using the dining room in the winter. They have dinner every Sunday with Caroline and her family.

Marie picks up granddaughter Eloise from Pre-K every Thursday and they spend the afternoon baking, crafting, swimming (in the summer), basically doing whatever a 4-year-old wants to do. Marie also travels regularly to Washington D.C. to see the grandchildren there.

What do they love most about living in Mission Hills? The list is full! They love the beauty of the city – the well-landscaped lawns, the stately homes, the quiet drives, the mature trees, and the forest-like nature of the city. Marie says, “It’s a beautiful place to walk. We often drive around the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful scenery and to watch the changing seasons.”