Marie Bell "Watty" O'Hara

Marie Bell O’Hara, born July 11, 1925, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Watson and attended Bryant School and Sunset Hill. She graduated from Smith College in 1947 with a degree in music. She was an active community volunteer and a member of the Junior League for many years. She served as a docent and a member of the Society of Fellows at the Nelson Gallery of Art and helped with flower arrangements of the different events there. She was a nurse’s aid at General Hospital during WWII and helped a total of 600 hours at Childrens Mercy Hospital. She did Meals on Wheels for many years and also taught Horticulture classes at Crittenton Home for disturbed children. She served on the board of Kansas City Community Gardens for 6 years as well as the head of the Smith College Antiques Forum which raised money for scholarships. After college, she gave piano lessons and also was in the real estate business for 3 years.

She had an abiding love of horticulture and gardening and always tended to her own garden. She gave three lectures and demonstrations on flower arranging at the Sebree Galleries. Her home garden was on the Wellesley Garden Tour three times as well as the Prairie Village Garden Tour. She was President of the Westport Garden Club and a member for 50 years, receiving their Horticultural award, the Medal of Merit, as well as their flower arranging award.

Her other great love was music and for forty years she played two pianos with various partners, frequently giving musicales in her home. She served on the UMKC Conservatory board for 3 years and was Co-Chairman of “Crescendo”, the Conservatory’s big money raiser for scholarships.

She played golf all her life, starting at age 10 and was an early President of the Women’s Golf Association of Kansas City in 1959. She received their Jane Kelley Honor Award. She also served as Chairman of the Tom Watson Mercy Hospital Golf Classic. She was club champion at the Kansas City Country Club 11 times where she held the women’s course record of even par 71 from 1956 to 2016. She was also fond that, for part of this time, her brother Ray Watson and nephew Tom Watson held the men’s old course and new course low score records, respectively. She also belonged to the Moorings Club in Vero Beach, FL where she won their club championship twice. She won the City Championship three times and was also medalist in the Missouri State Tournament in 1982.

She belonged to the Village Presbyterian Church for nearly 70 years. In later years, she worked at the Village Church pantry once a week as well as arranged church alter flowers for delivery to the homebound for many years.

She and her husband Jack O’Hara (deceased) were married for 58 years and enjoyed traveling and shared a love of entertaining, the outdoors and community involvement. She leaves her son, Tom O’Hara and his wife Laura as well as two grandchildren, Callae and Jack, and three nephews: Ridge, Tom and John Watson whom she adored. Her other son, David preceded her in death.

There will be a Celebration of Life ceremony on Tuesday, May 26th at the Village Presbyterian Church with visitation at 12:00PM and the service at 1:00PM.

Memorial contributions in memory of Marie Bell "Watty" O'Hara may be given to Village Presbyterian Church.