Wendolyn Ellis Moody

Wendolyn Ellis Moody, 55, of Kansas City, MO, passed away on Saturday, March 19, 2022, surrounded by family, at Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, MO. Wendolyn “Wendy” Ellis Moody was born on August 26, 1966 in St. Louis, MO to J L and Jo Ann River Moody. Wendy grew up in Florissant, MO and graduated from McCluer North High school in 1984. She attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and graduated with a degree in Housing & Interior Design in 1988, specializing in barrier-free environments for the elderly and disabled. Wendy was an extremely talented artist, lover of horses and exceptionally free spirit, not necessarily in that order. From a very early age, she began drawing life-like sketches of horses and began a collection of model horses until one day purchasing her own beloved horse, Annie, and later, pal Navaho. While a junior in high school, Wendy’s artistic talent earned her a place in Washington University’s prestigious pre-college art program. As a senior in high school, she was one of a select few St. Louis area high school students invited to display her work in exhibition. While attending college, Wendy began working at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, providing historical hair weaves and braiding. After graduating from Mizzou, Wendy eventually became the proprietor of her own business for historical hair weaves and braiding, and for many years, she travelled the “Renaissance Faire circuit” throughout the country. During this time, Wendy was involved in the passage of an official statute in the state of Kansas (K.S.A. 65-1928) that provided for an individual engaged in hair braiding to be exempt from the practice of cosmetology requirements, and she was present for the governor’s signing of the legislation. After retirement as a “Rennie,” Wendy’s primary employment was in the food and beverage industry, most often tending bar. Her résumé included stints at such renowned restaurants as JJ’s and O’Dowd’s on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City and Kiki’s Bon Ton Maison in Westport. Wendy’s time behind the bar was also the source of her unending wealth of jokes and funny stories. With a joke for any and every occasion, Wendy was a colorful raconteur, overflowing with wit and humor. Wendy might best be described as the ultimate free spirit freelancer, a lifestyle that allowed her to maximize her schedule to pursue her primary love of riding and tending to horses, both her own and those of friends. Wendy was known for her skill auditing buildings and dwellings for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the artistic elements of interior design. Her artistry extended to all media: drawing, painting, ceramics and sculpture; she even made her own paper. Wendy once spent time as a hod carrier so she could oversee the ceramic tile displays in homes and businesses. Her friends described her as an excellent cook with plated presentations nothing short of “beautiful.” It seems there wasn’t anything Wendy could not do or accomplish, once she set her mind to it – and frequently for free, for she was constantly donating her time and talents to friends and strangers alike. (It could be said, in fact, that Wendy never met a stranger.) Above all, Wendy could and should be described as a wonderful and devoted friend. Her friends routinely commented on her overwhelming generosity, with “a heart as big as all outdoors” (which Wendy also loved, with all her heart). Recent words used to describe Wendy include “lovely, willowy, creative, sparkling, joyful mystery … whose beauty remains.” She is survived by her mother, Jo Ann Moody, of St. Peters, MO; brother and sister-in-law, Mark Moody and Sonya Hryshko, of Detroit, MI; sister, Kim Moody, of St. Louis, MO; sisters and brothers-in-law, Margo Doherty and Pete Tallo of St. Peters, MO, and Kerri and Mike Fucaloro of St. Louis, MO; niece and nephew-in-law, Nina and Kevin Applegate, of O’Fallon, MO; nephew, Phillip Fucaloro, of Austin, TX; great nephews, Franklin and Joseph Applegate; and long-time love and partner, Chris Rixner, of Kansas City, MO. Wendy was preceded in death by her father, J L Moody; paternal grandparents, George and Icel Moody; maternal grandparents, Louis River and Margaret River Johnson; and niece, Taylor Jo Doherty. Celebrations of Life will be held at later dates, to be determined, in Kansas City and Montgomery City, MO. Memorial contributions in celebration of Wendy may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

Wendolyn Ellis Moody

August 26, 1966 - March 19, 2022