Mary Louise Balano passed away June 17, 2026, at the age of 91. She was a parishioner of St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church and an active member of the Altar Society.

Mary Louise grew up in the North End of Kansas City and attended Holy Rosary Grade School where she made lifelong friends. She belonged to the Sodality of Our Lady and was a Girl Scout. She went on to St. Teresa's Academy and made more new friends. She was a member of Lambda Gamma Chi Sorority, a De La Salle Honorary Cadet, and Prom Queen Attendant.

Mary Louis married Phillip Balano in 1954. He was her hero and her love. They danced together for 60 years.

Mary Louise loved anything musical, having season tickets to the Lyric Theatre, the dinner theatre, and the ballet. She looked forward to her yearly trip to New York with her daughter to see the opera and Broadway shows. Family was everything to Phil and Mary Louise. Whether at their house in the Ozarks, vacationing in Cancun, Mexico, or just being together.

Phil passed away in 2015 but with never ending love, care and attention from her children and grandchildren she lived an active and happy life.

Mary Louise leaves her children – her loves – Phillip Balano, Savina Lee (Bob), and Michael Balano (Jeanine); and her grandchildren – her joys – Mary Louise Cicero (Nick), Robert Lee (Elizabeth), Alaina Davis (Anthony), Michael Lee, Phillip Balano (Stefani), Savina DiRenna (Anthony), John Lee (Rachel), and Isabella Balano. Mary Louise was blessed to see 10 great-grandchildren whom she called "the icing on my cake of life" - Alaina, Georgia, and Nicolas Cicero, Rosalee and Lillian Lee and soon-to-be baby Lee, Anthony, Vivienne, and Olivia Davis, and Lucia and Phillip Balano. "Non ti scordari me" (don't forget me). She also leaves her sister-in-law Josephine Pace; and her two nephews Larry Pace (Debbie) and Ross Michael Pace (Mika).

Mary Louise was preceded in death by her parents Phillip and Georgia Morroto; her brother Joseph Morroto; her in-laws Ross and Sarah Balano; and her brother-in-law Anthony Pace.

Services will be held on Saturday, June 20, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. The Rosary will be prayed at 8:30 a.m. followed by Visitation at 9:00 a.m. and the Funeral Mass at 12:30 p.m. Entombment will be at Mount Olivet Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the Phillip & Mary Louise Balano Memorial Scholarship at St. Pius X High School; or the Sister Servants of Mar y.

Pallbearers: Nick Cicero, Michael Lee, Robert Lee, John Lee, Anthony Davis, Phillip Balano, Anthony DiRenna.

Condolences may be offered at www.passantinobros.com