Marcia B. Albright

Marcia B. Albright, 80, passed away on Aug. 3, 2025, at Evergreen Community of Johnson County in Olathe, KS.

Marcia Ann Bloom was born on Feb. 28, 1945, to Richard and Jean Bloom of Albion, NY. Marcia graduated with a degree in journalism from Syracuse University in 1967 and worked for the Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle and Times-Union newspapers until she moved to Kansas City in 1970.

Marcia served as long-time Readers’ Recipes columnist for the Kansas City Star’s food section during the 1980s, during which time she collaborated with The Star’s Project Warmth to produce two charity benefit cookbooks, The Best of Readers’ Recipes, and Just Desserts. Marcia was deeply involved as a church volunteer everywhere she lived, most notably as a trained Stephen minister and a grief ministry leader. She was an active volunteer in education and in nonprofit or faith communities when she and her husband served churches in Batavia, NY; Bloomsburg, PA; and Cincinnati, OH. She was an early advocate for HIV/AIDS patients and was instrumental in opening the first skilled nursing care facility in the Kansas City metro area for AIDS patients in the early 1990s, work which garnered her a Marion Creamer Ribbon of Hope Award from the AIDS Service Foundation in 1994.

Marcia was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Paul Bloom, of San Diego, CA. Marcia leaves behind her husband, Rev. Dr. Cecil R. Albright, of Camp Dennison, OH; her children from her first marriage, Lisen Tammeus (Rick) Mann of Louisburg, KS, and Kate (Gregg Todt) Tammeus of Kansas City, MO.; and her sister, Karen (Peter) LaFauci of Rochester, NY. Marcia leaves four adult grandchildren - Olivia Mann, Jacob Mann, Lucy Willaredt and Zoe Willaredt. She also leaves behind two stepchildren, David Albright of Tuscaloosa, AL, and Beth (Ernie Wetzel) Albright of Atlanta, GA, along with six step-grandchildren.

Marcia lived for many years with a progressive neurological disease and her family is grateful for her last years of loving care - and her evening glass of white wine - at Evergreen Community and Evergreen Hospice of Johnson County, KS.

The family will hold a private burial at Mt. Albion (NY) Cemetery at a future date.