M. Ann Suminski, 82, passed away on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at the Kansas City Hospice House with her two daughters by her side.
She was born Dec. 26, 1942 in Halstead, to Louis F. Buller and M. Lucille (Canatsey) Buller. After living in Halstead, Kansas, the young family moved back to Iola, where Lucille’s family lived. Ann grew up there and graduated from Iola High School.
Sometime after graduating from high school, Ann moved to Chanute. That is where she met and married Charles E. Larson.
They had two daughters, Jennifer and Amy. They later divorced. A couple of years later she met and married Jerry Mead. They later divorced. She then met and married Doug Suminski. He preceded her in death in 2008.
Doug moved them out of Chanute not long after being married. They lived in Parsons, Ark City and Derby until he became ill in 2008. After that, her daughters moved her back to Chanute. She became reacquainted with many old friends and Charles (her daughters’ father) side of the family again.
She held different jobs throughout her life. She worked as a CNA and CMA for several years. Then she got a job she absolutely loved, working for Jim and Betty Fehr at Fehr’s Kennels. There she managed the kennels and did grooming for many years.
In her later years she worked for a hospice group in the Derby area and sat with hospice patients overnight. After retirement and living back in Chanute, she became a board member for Castaways Animals Shelter & Sanctuary for a few years. Her compassion for animals and her elderly patients shined very bright.
She did not know a stranger. Her humor, her ornery smile and her laugh will be forever remembered by so many. Her girls have often said when they were young, they could never get lost in Wal-Mart because they could always hear her laugh!
She is survived by her two daughters, Jennifer Aguilar, Chanute; Amy Larson-Kiddoo (Brad), Chanute; her cousins, Craig Canatsey (Nancy), Kirkwood, Missouri; Sara Roden (John), St. Louis; two step-grandchildren, four stepgreat grandchildren, and two bonus-great grandchildren; a bonus daughter, Janis Finley; and many nieces and nephews whom she loved.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her two ex-husbands; her uncle and aunt Gerald and Sadie Canatsey; and her son-in-law, Steven Aguilar.
It was her wish not to have a service. Only a private scattering of her ashes, by her daughters, in a place she loved to visit. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to: Kansas City Hospice House, 12000 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145; https://kchospice.org/donate. ACARF, 305 US-54, La Harpe, KS 66751; https://www.acarf. org/donate. Castaways Animal Shelter & Sanctuary, P.O. Box 313, Chanute, KS 66720; https://castawayschanute.com/ donate. Cards or letters of condolences can be mailed to P.O. Box 532, c/o Amy Larson-Kiddoo, Chanute, KS 66720.
