Frances Kathryn (Kay) McNamara (Maudsley Salgado)

1923 ~ 2020

Service:

Aug. 12, 2020
4:30 AM
2350 East 1300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108

Frances Kathryn (Kay) McNamara (Maudsley Salgado) December 15, 1923 – August 6, 2020

Our beautiful Brighton girl has gone home. We have no doubt she rode her horse into heaven wearing a beautiful scarf and carrying a burlap bag full of abandoned puppies! There to meet her: her son, Cameron, who we have felt watching over her these last few years, her beloved parents, Irene Croft, and Francis McNamara, all the kitties and dogs she rescued, her many cherished friends and of course, her Savior; that reunion, a glorious one after a life spent loving Him and being a true missionary of the gospel. We will miss her wisdom, her laugh – oh she loved to laugh, her joy of life and nature, her love for people and her devotion to family. We love you Mom and will miss you terribly.

Kay was the consummate philanthropist. Her contribution to every soul she met was profound. She was easy to talk to, deep in her thinking, and always had a precious gift of advice to share. She was intuitive and sensed what people needed. She made fast friends, people who longed to be with her and benefit from her friendship and wisdom. Connecting with people was effortless for her. She never met a stranger she didn’t know. As a young mother, she took in unwed mothers. She had the ability to use her words to lift them up, instill a sense of self-worth and respect and send them on their way.

Kay is from the greatest generation and one of the last “great dames”, now a vanishing breed. Being gracious and having elegant manners were important to her. If you slipped up in that department, she wouldn’t hesitate to let you know. She had respect for others and believed every soul to be precious and valuable.

Kay was an entrepreneur of a different kind. She was a gifted cosmetologist and had a beauty-shop in her home when her children were younger. She owned Good Neighbor Tours out of Laredo, Texas and introduced many tourist to the enchantment of Mexico. She won business woman of the year twice and prided herself in offering a trip they would never forget beginning with exceptional customer service. She had a twenty-year career in sales at the Little America Fine Gift Shop and five years as a floral designer at the Grand America flower shop. She retired at the age of eighty-two. It was a decision she made with much anguish. After all, whatever would she do with her life? After retirement, she longed to impart the lessons of life, so important to us all, to everyone she encountered. She accomplished that task, perhaps without knowing it, and made a difference to those surrounding her right up to the final days of her life. Job well done!

Kay had a fascination with Mexico. She moved there, learned to speak the language fluently and traveled the entire country. She learned about the people and the culture. She visited jungles most people will never see. She considered it a privilege to know and love her Mexican family. “What wonderful people!” She was grateful her children had the opportunity to visit Mexico and share in her experience there.

Kay had wonderful, friends in the Darling Girls, a club formed in Jr. High School. The eighteen-plus fabulous ladies stayed close throughout their lives, faithfully gathered for club/lunch monthly, traveled together, and helped raise each other’s children.

Kay loved animals, (as evidenced by her many rescue efforts). She was a good horseman and her adventures in Little Cottonwood Canyon, including visiting the sheep-herders, are book worthy. Brighton was an escape and a haven. She loved to travel. She left her heart in San Francisco and pined over the enchanted city. Her visit to Israel was a life-changing experience. Kay was an avid reader. She studied self-improvement and made an exceptional effort to incorporate those principles in her life. She made sure we all understood how powerful our words were and to use them with respect and forethought. Kay took excellent care of herself and was into healthy eating long before it was fashionable. She encouraged countless people throughout her life to ditch the sugar, soda pop and processed food for organic, nutrient rich, live foods. She was a clothes horse and had an elegant sense of style – one that seems to have gone out of style these days. She always dressed to the nines, classy and stylish even when we went to the canyon. She loved to ski. She loved a great party, especially if there was dancing, and always served her famous guacamole and authentic Mexican margaritas.

Messages from Kay to her family:
My children made life a heaven on earth.
Christian, I know how much you sacrificed to care for me and I know how much you love me. Words can never express how grateful I am to and for you.
Steve, practical and with a head for solving the most difficult problems, thank you for solving a few of my toughest and for being there when I really needed you.
Sue, I will always remember the thought-provoking conversations we’ve had and the precious time we’ve spent together. I loved our adventures. What fun we’ve had!
Ron, how generous and kind you’ve been to me, my children and grandchildren. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Janette, thank you for your attention to me and for taking good care of my son. I want you both to be happy.

And to her grandchildren:
Tiffany, thank you for bringing Arrow to meet me. You’re a beautiful momma.
Amie Kay, my Sagittarius beauty, I will be there to help you through this.
Jessica, thank you for saving me, “girlfriend”.
Wynn Davis, I’m so proud of the man you’ve become. And you are such a wonderful father!
Joshua, thank you for being such good company and always reminding me to “breathe.”
Haleigh and Stephanie, I truly wish we’d had the opportunity to know each other better.

Special mention:
Wells S. Maudsley, (first husband / deceased) thank you for providing a lovely home where I could raise our children and for being a good man.
And to my adopted kids, you filled my life and made it more rewarding than you could possibly imagine. Thank you. You know who you are.
Lundy, my dear friend, can't wait to sit together and laugh about all this!
Cheryl and Jim, now I know. My heart is full of sacred gratitude. Bless you both. I will be watching over you.
Val, thank you for saving my dignity and swooping in unsolicited.
Darcy, hope you don't mind if I stay in touch. (wink, wink)

In conclusion and as Mom/Grandma moves peacefully on, if you think the training stops here, you are mistaken. Graciousness is the goal and it’s been passed from our beautiful Mom and Grandmother to all her posterity. “Teach your children to be gracious. Manners never go out of style. Respect your family. Be exceptional at what you love. Practice elegance, and make me proud! I’ve devoted my life to making you better people. Now it’s up to you. I love you with all my heart and will see you on the other side. Until then, Dios este’ contingo hasta que nos volvamos a ver.” (God be with you till we meet again.)

The family would like to thank Kay’s many caregivers for their gentle and loving attention paid to their precious mom. What beautifully enlightened people came to her assist in the last several years of her life and how grateful we are to you. A very special and heartfelt thanks to Cheryl and Jim Jones whose constant love and enlightened presence carried us through it all. Thank you beloved friends. And to Helen Leech whose life-long friendship with Kay lasted the test of time; we love and adore you auntie! Thank you to Nadine Marcus for helping us make the difficult transition from home to Independent living and for the thousands of concessions made in Mom’s behalf. Your steady influence kept us calm. Thank you to Dave and Tracy Meredith, the owners of the very classy Beacon Crest Senior Living for making sure Kay went out in “Martha Stewart” style! Thank you to all the CNAs and caregivers entrusted to care for Kay, angels who treated her with great respect and dignity and genuinely loved her. We love you right back. Thank you to Silverado Hospice and Tender Care Hospice whose vigilant watch created a safe-haven, steadiness and peace in all our lives, especially Mom’s. We feel so abundantly blessed and are grateful for every moment of thoughtful care and kindness.

Kay is survived by three children, Steven Wells Maudsley, (Rhonda (deceased)), Sue M. McMillin (Ron), Christian Joseph Maudsley, (Janette), 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren. Kay was preceded in death by her son Cameron Richard Maudsley, her mother Pearl Irene Croft, and her father Francis McNamara.

A graveside service will be held Wednesday, 12, 2020 at 10:30 at Larkin Sunset Lawn located at 2350 East 1300 South. Due to Covid-19 mask and social distancing are requested.

In lieu of flowers, the family would love to hear about your experiences with Kay. You can share these memories by pressing the "Send Condolences" tab at the top of the page. Thank you! We're excited to hear your stories.


Guestbook/Condolences

I first met Kay at her home in Salt Lake City in the early Winter of 1967. Her son Steve and I had become friends while attending Evergreen Junior High after becoming acquainted in a gym class. One Saturday, Steve invited me to come and play basketball with him at his Church gymnasium. After basketball, he invited me over to his home which was close by. This is where I first me the Maudsley family. Kay immediately made me feel at home. She took a minute to introduce me to Sue , Chris and Wells. She then asked me a little about myself and my family. That set the stage for a wonderful relationship with this great family for years to come.
From that day forward, Steve and I became very good friends and thus I got to know Kay and her family very well. From skiing in the local canyons in the Winter months or just hanging out around their home. Often Steve and I would enjoy playing the piano in their home trying to improve our musical talents. I always knew I was always welcome in their home and Kay was the heart of this wonderful family.
I remember Kay always tried to take good care of herself by eating healthy, even before it was popular. She had Clinton's whole grain bread in the refrigerator and always drank natural Spring water from and spring located on the east side of downtown Salt Lake. Often, she would send Steve and I to get her water. We would load up the white Malibu station wagon with all kinds of containers and go get her water. Often on our return, Kay would offer Steve and I a little something for our service. On one of these occasions she offered me some ice cream. I told her sure, but then asked if I could have a glass of milk with my ice cream. She looked kind of puzzled but was interested in this request. I proceeded to tell her that I did not like dry ice cream! I explained that I liked ice cream wet, by adding the milk. She let out a laugh that was Kay's alone. From that day forward she would always give me a smile when offering me ice cream and say, "Hey Bowen, would you like some wet ice cream?"
The thing that set Kay apart from my other friends mom's, was the friendship and love she extended to me. I was always Welcome in her home. I do not know if she knew what an affect her friendship and example had on me in my youth. It helped me form what kind of parent I would become in the future. As a result I always tried to treat my children's friends with that same respect and love . I feel Kay and her family helped make me a better person in those formative years. I thank Kay and Wells for all the wonderful memories that I have of them and their great family.
Thank You Steve, Sue and Chris for allowing me to be part of the celebration of your mom's life this past Summer in Millcreek Canyon. I cherish all the wonderful memories of your mom and grandma that were shared on that occasion. I love you all dearly and pray the Lord's spirit of comfort and peace to be with you all during this difficult time. She was one of a kind! All my Love Doug


- Doug Bowen

I forget who told me to try Kay Maudsley to do my hair, but for many years, I sat in her beauty chair early in the morning before kids were awake or before work. She had a gift, not only with making things beautiful, but in wisdom. I'm sure I was not the only beneficiary of her wise words. I count myself fortunate as one who knew her.


- Marilyn M. Smolka

Dear Sue, Christian and Steve,
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your mother. I know you all loved her dearly. Please know that my heart and thoughts are with you at this difficult time. Have comfort in knowing she had a full and amazing life with loving children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to give special meaning to all she did.
Love,
Kathy


- Kathy Morones

I am saddened to read of Kay’s passing. Such a wonderful woman I am honored to have known Kay. My deepest condolences and love to a very special family..


- Andrew Rosenthal

I am one of those adopted kids mentioned in the obituary. Actually, I thought I was the only one adopted by her, but her gift was making everyone that visited her home feel adopted. I am friends with her son Steve who has treated me like a brother ever since grade school. After my father died when I was twelve, the Maudsley family took me in as one of their own. Kay was a loving second mother to me providing guidance, support, counseling and her home was a safe haven. Kay would celebrate my birthdays by baking cakes and I enjoyed her delicious cooking on a regular basis.
Kay was such a classy, dignified, refined lady with such a gift to make you feel welcomed and comfortable. She was perceptive in business practices, wise in advice to customers, and charitable to those in need. What a combination of skills and talents. She recognized that her gifts came from the Almighty whom she revered. I have been a beneficiary of the way that she conducted her life and blessed by her family and especially my dear friend Steve. With gratitude, I express my appreciation for her influence in my life by providing an example of how to treat my own family and others.
Eternally grateful. Mark Hamilton


- Mark Hamilton

Kay, was a very special soul to me. I would go and visit her in her home, and we would sit and have lunch, and talk about anything and everything. She had an opinion, but such wisdom. We laughed at so many things, and I always look forward to the next time I would get to come visit. She was one of the classiest ladies I've ever knew, and held herself with such grace. She is an angel I will never forget, and the many hilarious conversations we had in my office when she came to live at the community of which I worked. I love you dearly, Ms Kay. You will never be forgotten. Spread your wings and fly high, you are free now.


- Nadeen Marcus

The words that comes to mind when I think of Kay are kind and forgiving. When I used to hang out at their home with Steve, our adolescence was in full bloom. Despite our occasional naughtiness, I never felt judged - even after my stupid incident with the phone operator (Steve knows what I'm talking about). In fact, I was always welcomed. Kay made us all feel comfortable in her presence. She knew just what to say and how to handle a bunch of awkward teenage boys and still maintain her dignity, grace and charm. I will always be grateful to her for helping me navigate those challenging times.


- Rob Chipman

Sue, I was so sad to hear of your mother's passing and wanted to reach out to you to offer my most heartfelt condolences. I never had the opportunity of meeting your sweet mother. It sounds like she led a richly filled life and was a really talented, amazing woman. Now I know who you inherited many of your talents from. The Maudsley Family truly were and are wonderful people. I hope the happy memories help you through this challenging time of loss. My mom and dad asked me to convey their love and sympathy to you as well. With love and fond memories, Colynne Bartholomew Call


- Colynne Call