The Gold Standard in Wyandotte County Journalism

Obituary by Richard Ward, former publisher of Wyandotte Daily Online

Mary Ellen Rupert, 68, passed away peacefully on February 22, 2023. She was born August 30, 1954, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Thomas and Eleanor Flanagan.

Mary was a respected and often quietly influential journalist who worked tirelessly to report important events in the daily lives of all residents of Wyandotte County. Public officials knew her well and many respected her continuous professional approach to accuracy and fairness in her factual and unbiased stories about government and elected leaders.

Tonda Rush, General Counsel of the National Newspaper Association in Washington, D.C. fondly recalled their half-century as colleagues with common goals.

“It has been an honor to know and work with Mary over a span of nearly 50 years. She gave gracefully and knowledgeably from her many talents to the values of an open society. In addition to her devotion to informing the residents of Wyandotte County, she was involved in several journalism organizations that strive to keep information flowing in America. I feel confident that she will be welcomed to her reward and that St. Peter will find her with pen and open notebook in hand.”

Mary was a member of Kappa Tau Alpha, a journalism honors society. A past president of the Kansas City Press Club, she was honored with the organization’s prestigious Gold Award for her investigation and reporting of lobbying by Native American casinos. Mary was a member of the Kansas City Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and a past president of the Greater Kansas City Association of Women in Communications.

Mary wrote thousands of stories in her decades of research and reporting in The Wyandotte West, the Kansas City Kansan and J-Links (the University of Kansas journalism alumni magazine). She was a skilled copy editor at the Kansas City Kansan, The Wyandotte West and Wyandotte Daily News.

Mary’s expertise covered the spectrum from community media skills to photography and reporting, to editing and digital content development. Mary was Editor of the Wyandotte Daily News and Managing Editor of Wyandotte Daily Online from 2009 until her passing. She also served her community in numerous media positions.

In 2006, Mary was named Managing Editor of The Wyandotte West newspaper where she first worked in 1976 as a reporter and editor. Her interim work as an editor and journalist was at the Kansas City Kansan in 1996 and again in 2002.

Murrel Bland, founder of The Wyandotte West, paid tribute to his friend and colleague: “Mary Rupert (then Mary Flanagan) came to work for The Wyandotte West when she was a student at Kansas City Kansas Community College. She started as a typesetter for the West in the early 1970s. Later, she advanced to a reporter and then as an editor.

“Mary was always very fair and accurate. Above all, she had a very strong sense of ethics. Mary demonstrated that the practice of journalism was a very important responsibility.”

Mary’s education was extensive and includes a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas in 1996, where she was copy editor for The University Daily Kansan. Her bachelor’s degree in journalism was awarded in 1976 from Kansas State University, where she was a reporter at the school’s Collegian, and editor of the Kedzie Report newsletter for the journalism department.

At Kansas City Kansas Community College, Mary studied English, French, economics and general topics from 1972 to 1974. She worked as a typesetter at The Wyandotte West after school.

Mary attended Bishop Ward High School, Kansas City, Kan., graduating with honors in 1972. She attended grade school at Christ the King Catholic School in Kansas City, Kan.

Mary married her life-long sweetheart Steven Rupert on May 10, 1980, at Christ the King Catholic Church, Kansas City, Kan.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents Thomas and Eleanor Flanagan and her brother Patrick Flanagan. Mary is survived by her husband Steven of the home, daughter Christine Rupert and son Jonathan Rupert, both of Kansas City, Kan. Her sister Loretta Li and brother Tom Flanagan also survive.

Mary’s Funeral Mass was held Wednesday, Feb. 29, at Christ the King Church, 3024 North 53rd
Street, Kansas City, Kan., and she was buried at Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery at Parallel Parkway and North 126th Street.

The family suggests memorials in Mary’s name to Christ the King Church.