Dena Scavuzzo-Finnell

Dena Scavuzzo Finnell, of Harrisonville, Missouri, was born March 3, 1942, in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of Cosmo Scavuzzo and Rosemary Conger Scavuzzo. She departed this life Monday, June 29, 2009 at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas at the age of 67 years, 3 months and 26 days. She graduated from Harrisonville High School in 1960 and attended the University of Kansas for two years. On June 2, 1963, she married Jim Finnell, also of Harrisonville. While her husband was attending law school at MU, Dena worked at University Hospital. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi, a business women's sorority. She was later a member of the Ft. Lewis Officers' Wives Club in Ft. Lewis, Washington, where her husband was stationed in the Army. When her children were in school in Tacoma, Washington, Dena was elected President of the Narrows View Co-op and the Narrows View PTA. She was awarded the Golden Acorn Award for outstanding work on behalf of the children and the school. She was a member of the St. Andrews Church, also in Tacoma, where she taught Sunday school for a number of years. Dena returned to Harrisonville in 1980 where she worked at Scavuzzo's Grocery Store and later for the Associate Circuit Court. She worked at International Paper in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, for many years, retiring in 1997. She was a member of the St. Peter's Episcopal Church and its fellowship community and the Chaldeans. Dena wanted to express her heartfelt thanks to all of the friends and family who helped her as she battled her health issues over the years. She felt blessed to have so many wonderful people in her life and was ever so grateful for everyone's support. Dena is survived by her three daughters, Melissa Finnell, Tacoma, Washington, Melanie Finnell, Eudora, Kansas and Megan Campbell and husband Tim, Las Vegas, Nevada; three sisters, Karla Hageman, Smithville, Missouri; Teresa Cook, Harrisonville, Missouri and Angela Travalent, Peculiar, Missouri; many nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.
Celebration of Life Services were held Thursday, July 2, 2009 at the Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri.
Family suggest that memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Foundation or to the American Cancer Society.