Maria "Mary" Urnise, 91, passed away Saturday, October 22, 2011. The Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Monday, October 24, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 318 Benton Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64124. Entombment will follow in Mt. Olivet Mausoleum. Visitation will be 9-10 a.m. Monday at St. Anthony Church prior to Mass. The Rosary will be prayed at 9:30 a.m. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Anthony Parish. Online condolences may be offered at www.passantinobros.com.

Maria was born March 2, 1920 in Cefalu, Sicily to Crispino and Santina (Cicero) Valenziano. After WWII, Maria married Joseph Urnise. In 1954, Maria and Joseph left their families in Sicily to emigrate to the United States to pursue a better life for their family. They worked tirelessly to establish a home for their children.

To Maria, her faith and her family were everything. She was like a lioness guarding her cubs. Her greatest hope was for her family to grow healthy and strong in mind, body and spirit. Her greatest joy was to gather her family around her for a meal. She loved her weekly family dinners as an opportunity to share our joys and challenges. Attendance was mandatory. Her greatest honor was to have guests to her home and have them enjoy her food and to compliment her by taking a "doggie bag" of her delights with them.

She prayed unceasingly. She was our guardian angel and her prayers have protected and blessed us during challenging times. Maria was a great role model for her Catholic faith. She was the epitome of unconditional love. She was the first to love and forgive and the last to take issue.

Maria was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Urnise, in 1993; her parents; six sisters; three brothers; and her lifelong friend, Mary Cacioppo.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Patrick and Carolyn Urnise, Chris and Heidi "Ida" Urnise; grandchildren, Christine and Travis Spears, Joseph and Karen Urnise; great-grandchildren, Grace Marie and Paul Johnson; sister, Pena; sister-in-law, Doris Urnise; nieces and nephew, Becky Neeland, Anna and Tony Trapani; and many other family and friends in the United States and Italy.

The family would like to thank the ICU nursing staff at Research Medical Center for the compassion and care shown to their mother.