Maria Mahoney, 63 of Ankeny and formerly of Carroll, died Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m., Friday, April 12, 2024 at St. Lawrence Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Patrick Behm. Music will be by Kathy Halbur and Sherry Loughran. Lector for the Funeral Mass will be Jake Schulz. Gift Bearers will be Cameron Cook, Cohen Cook, Collins Cook, Brecklyn Weber, Myla Weber, and Wren Weber. Casket Bearers will be Troy Vogl, Casey Cook, Klynt Weber, Chase Monahan, Tage Monahan, Nick Schulz, Aaron Schulz, Colin Monahan, Sean Monahan, and Royce Schulz. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll.
Visitation will be from 10-11:15 a.m. on Friday at St. Lawrence Church prior to the Funeral Mass.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left at the church for St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Des Moines, where Maria taught and will be used for tuition assistance.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Maria’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Maria was born in Jefferson, Iowa on April 6, 1961, to Dot (Baynes) and Vincent Monahan. She was one of five children and was raised in Carroll, Iowa, where she graduated from Kuemper Catholic High School. Following her graduation, she worked at New Hope Village as she raised her young family while making sure she was always involved in her children’s school and activities. Maria always made education a priority and continued to model this for her children by earning a degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa.
She was involved with Catholic education her entire life–first as a student, next as a parent, and twenty years as an educator. Her teaching career started in the Kuemper Catholic School District. Later she moved to Des Moines and taught at St. Pius X Catholic School and was currently a middle school teacher at St. Joseph’s Catholic School. She thoroughly enjoyed her students and learned as much from them as they did from her.
Always an avid reader, Maria loved to talk about the book she was currently reading and never hesitated to suggest several titles to anyone who asked for her recommendations. She also enjoyed antiquing, traveling, shopping, and the occasional trip to the casino. Above all else, Maria loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
She is survived by her children Meaghn (Troy) Vogl, Caitlin (Casey) Cook, Alyssa (Klynt) Weber, and Ryan (Emily) Mahoney; stepchildren, Jeffrey (Marcy) Mahoney, Jeremy (Candace) Mahoney, and Regina (Misha) DeMars; grandchildren, Cameron, Cohen, Collins, Brecklyn, Myla, Wren, Rylan, Jace, Claire, Connor, Oliver, and Jasper; sister, Shelley (Royce) Schulz; brothers, Sean Monahan and Colin (Sonya) Monahan; her former husbands, Steve Knauss and James Anderson; and many nieces and nephews.
Maria was preceded in death by her husband of twenty years, Richard Mahoney; her parents, Vincent and Dot Monahan; brother, Vinny Monahan; in laws, Paul and Viola Mahoney; and sister-in-law, Lynn Monahan.
