Flavia McBride

McBride, Flavia Robertson, 81, passed away from us Thursday, June 12, 2014. Private family services will be held. Flavia is preceded in death by her parents, Flavel and Katharine Robertson of Kansas City. She is survived by her husband and best friend, John McBride; daughter, Katharine (James) OMara of Vancouver, Canada; sons, John (Martina) McBride of Nashville, TN, James (Jan) McBride of Overland Park, KS, Charles (Jennifer) McBride of Irvine, CA; twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Flavia loved a grand symphony of people family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and members of her numerous charitable and community groups. She donated her time faithfully and often. Everyone who came into her life knew they had met someone who would cherish them unconditionally and forever. After graduating from high school at Sunset Hill (Pembroke) in Kansas City, she attended Kansas University where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and remained involved throughout her life. She showed her well-known trait of perseverance by completing her degree at Wichita State University later in life. In addition to being a president of the University “Dames” organization, she was a big supporter and volunteer with WSU athletic and arts programs, where her husband John was a professor for many years. These included the Ablah Library Special Collections, the annual Wichita Jazz Festival Big Band Competition, plays, exhibits and sporting events. She was a true athlete in every aspect of her life. She always went for it! Her biggest love was to swim and she swam thousands of miles with her friends in the Masters Swim Program at Wichita State Universitys Heskett Center and attended national competitions where she held top ten times in her age group. Her desire was to set up a memoriam in her name to support the program and therefore, in lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to WSU Foundation, 1845 Fairmount Street, Wichita, Kansas 67260-0002. Please make checks to the Hesket Center and include Flavias name in the memo. The donation will be used directly by the Masters Program. Downing Lahey East Mortuary.