Elizabeth Anne Vrabac

My sister, Elizabeth Anne Vrabac, passed away Friday, February 12, 2021 at 3:30 am in her home. She endured the challenges of cancer for a little over two years before she yielded to its persistence. Three major surgeries and two separate chemo protocols were not enough to help cure the horrific disease even though she fought hard to survive.
She was a dedicated teacher from the time she graduated from Mount Saint Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas and received her Masters from the University of Kansas. She loved and enjoyed teaching high school students at St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park, Kansas and St. Peters and Christ the King elementary students in Kansas City, Kansas. She had high expectations for each student who walked into her classroom with the hope they would walk out with an appreciation for the subject she was teaching. She was one of the original teachers hired at St. Thomas Aquinas when it opened its doors in 1988 and spent 26 years there until she retired in 2014. She loved the education community and her many colleagues.
Elizabeth was the perfect caregiver for our parents Michael and Rose Vrabac and for our dear aunt, "Teti" Helen Bert, all who proceeded her in death. She provided loving care for each of them while continuing her teaching responsibilities.
She loved and was loved by friends and family as she was such a generous and giving individual. She was Auntie E to her three nieces and their spouses, Laura Harris and Jim, Sarah Sampson and Travis, and Becca Thompson and Bradley. She was just "E" to great niece Brooke and 5 great nephews Blaine, Oliver, Wyatt, William, and Connor, all of whom will miss her dearly.
Her love of history and art influenced her travel to places around the world and volunteering in the Kansas City area. She volunteered for years at the Folly Theater or you could find her at the Nelson-Atkins Museum and the Strawberry Hill Museum where she was able to share pieces of our rich Croatian heritage with guests. She shared her passion for art by enrolling Brooke and Oliver in the Nelson-Atkins summer art programs. She was a veracious reader of books and enjoyed a book club with her closest friends. The book club offered an exchange of ideas, but also a fun social gathering and I am sure plenty of laughs.
Cancer patients endure the most extreme roller coaster ride on the planet. However, the ups and downs are anything but a thrill ride. She tackled each step with a positive attitude, and probably as no surprise to any former student or colleague, she did it with pen and paper in hand, taking copious notes of each word that came from her doctors mouth. She always wanted to be informed. The last year of her battle came during this awful pandemic, when she couldnt be close to family and friends, when she couldnt have visitors in the hospital, or when she had to walk into the KU Cancer Center by herself. It was tough on her family and close friends to watch from afar and Im sure lonely at times for her. But the drive byes and laughter from William and Oliver, the songs played on the piano by Brooke, Blaines, Brookes and Olivers ballgames, and the facetime chats from Wyatt and Connor in Tulsa would always brighten her day.
And me, I was just lucky enough to be her brother Michael and watch with my wife Mary as she took charge of her life, even in the end.
Elizabeths services will be Friday, February 26, 2021 at the Cathedral of St. Peter, 409 North 15th Kansas City, Kansas. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 am followed by Mass at 11:00 am. We understand that some will not be able to attend the service, so it will be streamed on Cathedral of Saint Peter in Kansas City, Kansas - YouTube channel. Also COVID guidelines for attending the service can be found at:
Mass Sign Up - Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle - Kansas City, KS (cathedralkck.org)
If you choose to make a donation in Elizabeths name we suggest the Sister Servants of Mary, 800 N. 18th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66102 Attn. Sister Emma
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Visitation Cathedral of St. Peter

Friday, February 26, 2021

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

409 N. 15thKansas City, Kansas 66102
Directions Funeral Mass Cathedral of St. Peter

Friday, February 26, 2021

11:00 AM

409 N. 15thKansas City, Kansas 66102
Directions Funeral Mass Mt. Calvary Cemetery

Friday, February 26, 2021

12:15 PM

38 & StateKansas City, Kansas 66102
Directions