Jodi Kay Cline

Jodi Kay Cline, 69, a pharmacist and marriage and family therapist, died at home on Dec. 10, 2020. Visitation for friends and family is set from 5-7 pm Wednesday, Dec. 16, at Downing & Lahey Mortuaries, 10515 W. Maple, Wichita, KS. A family only service is set for 11:00 am Friday, Dec. 18 at West Heights United Methodist Church, 745 Westlink Ave., Wichita, KS. It will be live streamed at the church’s Facebook page at https://m.facebook.com/westheightsumc/. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with the church and with the Alzheimer’s Association, 1820 E. Douglas, Wichita, KS 67214. Because of her desire to help others, she was passionate about Alzheimer’s treatment and led several support groups. The eldest child of Richard and Mary Jo Megredy, she was born Sept. 24, 1951, in El Dorado, KS. She was a member of the El Dorado High Class of 1969. She followed in her Dad’s footsteps and graduated from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy in 1975. She received her master’s degree from Friends University in 1995. Jodi married Scott Cline on June 5, 1976. They have two children, Lindsay (Jose) Martinez and Jordan (Jennifer) Cline, and Poppy, her beloved Pomeranian, as well as three grandchildren, Diego Martinez, and Norah and Mason Cline. She is survived by her husband, children, and grandchildren; sisters, Kim (Dave) Matthews of El Dorado and Jan (Vaughn) Langley of Wichita; brothers, Tod (Jill) of Salina and Joe Megredy of Leon; sister-in-law Debbie (Mike) Ebenkamp of Conway Springs, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents and two great-nephews. By the way, Tod, the writer of this obituary, was her favorite sibling. Don’t mention that to the rest of her family. They’ll just argue with you. Jodi and Scott enjoyed going to concerts, sporting events, movies, and music theatre together. She also enjoyed attending the Wichita Symphony with her friends. She loved attending Jordan’s baseball games and Lindsay’s musical performances when they were growing up. She was a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks and learned to tolerate the Kansas State Wildcats when Lindsay attended school there. Jodi loved music. She was a self-proclaimed band geek. When she joined the school band, she would arm herself with her clarinet, and uniform, and practice marching in the backyard. When camping with family at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, her tent looked more like a luxurious hotel room rather than a primitive outdoor shelter. At the festival, she’d leave the campsite with her fanny-pack, funky hat, chair, and mountain dulcimer in tow to attend as many performances as she could. Jodi had a passion for learning and using her time to help others. She also believed it was never too late to learn a new skill or pick up a new hobby. While working full-time as a pharmacist, she graduated with a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. She worked for the Counseling and Mediation Center of Wichita for more than 20 years and continued working as a pharmacist as well. During her years as a therapist, she counseled children, single and married adults, and conducted support groups for parents, Alzeheimer’s caregivers, and those experiencing grief. When you visited her home, you would most likely notice on her piano her dulcimers, ukulele, and a tambourine. Jodi was pretty good at playing the mountain dulcimer. She played with the Great Plains Dulcimer Alliance for a number of years. She recently started learning to play the ukulele. The significance of the tambourine is a bit of a mystery but may have been bought for her grandchildren. She loved to play music with others, especially her grandchildren. It was important to Jodi that everyone in her presence felt accepted and loved. When Lindsay began dating her husband, Jodi thought she needed to learn Spanish in order to talk to his parents -- even though they were fluent in English. She proudly proclaimed that she knew 1,200 words, but could not string them together into a coherent sentence. Jose loved her enthusiasm and thoughtfulness toward his parents. Jodi was known for being tardy. This was the result of her always trying to squeeze in more and never being able to say “no." The family once had a picnic and tasked Jodi and Scott with bringing the hamburger buns. The cookout was delayed for hours as the group waited for the Clines -- and the buns -- to arrive. After that, they were placed in charge of dessert so the rest of the family wouldn’t starve while waiting for them to arrive. Their tardiness got so bad that they would be told gatherings would start an hour earlier than actually scheduled in an attempt to get them there on time. Rarely did it work. When her Mom passed away in 1990 Jodi immediately claimed the crown of Family Matriarch. Her brothers and sisters quickly launched a rebellion, and within five short minutes, knocked her off her throne. Nearly 30 years later, the family still laughs at her failed coup. Jodi didn’t love to cook but believed in the importance of sharing meals with people she loved. She prioritized eating together as a family and looked forward to preparing family recipes at holidays. Jodi once attempted to make her Mom’s famous Mayonnaise Cake. Somehow, she misread the recipe and used salt instead of sugar. Recently, she attempted to make her Mom’s homemade egg noodles. She failed...miserably. The outcome looked so bad that she posted a photo of it on social media and started a “What Does This Look Like” contest. It looked like something you would find in a pasture with sick cows. When asked if she remembered watching her Mom make noodles, she said no. She was usually with her Dad at the pharmacy where he worked. Her family and friends are thankful to have these and other stories to remember her by. Jodi was an active member of the West Heights United Methodist Church for more than 35 years. She was a member of the handbell choir, taught Sunday school and assisted with the youth group, co-led a support group for Alzheimer’s caregivers, and served on several committees. She volunteered with the Shepherd’s Center of West Wichita, helping other senior adults connect with each other. Sometime early in the morning of that fateful day, Jodi posted on Facebook the beautiful song “Angels Among Us” by the band Alabama. By mid-afternoon, her family and friends were struggling to comprehend that she was the newest angel among us. “Oh, I believe there are Angels Among Us, Sent down to us from somewhere up above. They come to you and me in our darkest hours To show us how to live To teach us how to give To guide us with a light of love.” It’s not likely Jodi knew what was coming, but with this post -- her final post -- she still sent a message that was true to her spirit. As our brother, Joe said, “those that knew Jodi would have to say she (had) the kindest, sweetest soul (with) a big heart that could always find the good in everything.” While we move through the darkness of our grief, searching for the light, we are comforted to know that she will be that angel among us at the end of the road lighting the way with just a single ray of hope. Love you, Sis. We’ll miss you forever, but you will live on in our hearts and our memories.