With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Maria Cero. On April 4th, she was reunited with the love of her life, Ed Cero. She leaves behind her daughter, Leah FitzGerald; her son-in-law, Matt FitzGerald; and her four “precious angels”, her grandchildren—Nicholas, Ryan, Fiona, and Quinn FitzGerald—who were the center of her world.

Maria is also survived by her brother Pantelis (Giannios) Johnson of St. Louis, her sisters, Eleni Zounis of Chicago, and Efi Young of Kansas City. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ed, and her brothers, George Giannios, of Ethiopia, and Steve (Giannios) Johnson of Atlanta.

Maria emigrated to the United States at the age of 21, from Athens Greece carrying with her a deep love of family, tradition, and generosity. She met her husband, Ed, at a Greek dance, in Kansas City before moving to Wichita. Maria was a business owner for 30 years. She owned and operated The Golden Key Beauty Salon, where she and her team made women feel beautiful, but her true gift was the way she cared for others in the kitchen, a place always filled with food, laughter, conversation, and people. She loved cooking, entertaining, and sharing her Greek heritage through the meals and traditions she passed on. Her kitchen was her sanctuary and her stage. There was always something cooking on the stove, and baking in the oven, and always room for one more. She married into a family of Candy Confections, (Cero’s Candy Company) which she embraced and added caramels, sponge, hand dipped chocolates, ribbon candy, candy canes, and highly decorated panorama sugar eggs to her list of delicacies and carried these traditions on long after both businesses were sold.

Maria was Yiayia—not just to her four grandchildren, but to half the neighborhood, Kids who weren’t hers, and their parents too. What started as watching her grandchildren each day, quickly grew into something bigger. More kids came, and their parents followed. It wasn’t unusual for entire families to find themselves at our house at the end of the day, with dinner prepared, and someone’s kid sitting in a chair getting a haircut. None of it was ever planned but somehow always just happened.

She was funny, stylish, opinionated, and inventive. She loved clothes, and fine jewelry, and once joked that she wanted her ashes spread over her favorite department stores, so she could keep up with the latest fashion trends. She was a problem solver and “invented” numerous items, that had already been invented, but we never had the heart to tell her. Sorry mom. If you have one of those toothbrushes with LED lights that fight bacteria, they stole that idea from my mom.

She was, in every sense, a giver, but never a receiver. Fiercely independent, she would do everything for everyone but never allow anyone to do anything for her. Even when you tried, she was already waving you off.

Her life will be celebrated at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (12001 Wornall Rd. Kansas City, MO, 64145) on Monday, April 13th at 11:00 AM. We will attempt to honor her legacy with a reception following the funeral at 4545 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO. And if you’re still reading this, she would insist you come.

Memorial donations may be sent to The Children's Place of Kansas City. https://childrensplacekc.org/donate/