7/10/1958 – 8/25/2026
Lawrence
Monica Anne Gutierrez (Jilka) was born to Mildred and Laurence Jilka on July 10, 1958. She was a devout Catholic and lived the gospel through her life. She passed peacefully August 25, 2026 surrounded by family with Elton John playing in the background.
She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1976 and Marymount College with her Bachelor’s in Nursing in 1984. She and her family joined Corpus Christi Catholic Church in 1987, where she found great joy singing in the church choir and playing in the hand bell choir.
Monica married the love of her life, Steve, in 1984. They enjoyed 42 years of marital bliss, and their love serves as an example to many. She has 3 children, Jessica, Mateo and Elena. She was a gentle, kind mother who loved her children fiercely. She placed high value on family and she and Steve chose to gather with their siblings and cousins as their closest friends. (They will miss her dearly.)
Monica was joyful, calm, and steadfast. She had an infectious laugh and optimistic spirit. Words cannot convey how much she loved being a grandmother. From the early years of pushing the kids on swings to watching them perform in plays and attending countless volleyball and football games- even the mundane task of picking them up from school or playing yatzee repeatedly- she loved it all.
Her life’s work was shepherding women in their motherhood journey during her 33-year career working on the mother/baby unit at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. She was a strong patient advocate, taught the neonatal resuscitation program across Kansas to healthcare professionals. She mentored new nurses into the nursery who describe her as a patient teacher and an exceptional nurse with a wealth of knowledge.
Monica will be missed by many, including her loving spouse, Steve Gutierrez, her three children, Jessica Hoover, Mateo Gutierrez, Elena Gutierrez (Cody), her 7 grandchildren, Makenzie, Cole, Olivia, Brooklyn, Elizabeth, August, and Remy, her siblings, Mary Lou and David Jilka (Patti) and sister-in-law, Judy Jilka, and a great number of nieces and nephews.
She was greeted in heaven by her parents, Millie and Larry Jilka, her in-laws Elida and Ramiro Gutierrez, and her elder brothers, Bob and Ed Jilka.
Services will be held at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, with the Rosary at 10:30 am with Mass at 11 am and a luncheon to follow on Friday, September 4, 2026. Burial will be at a later date in a private ceremony with just Steve and immediate family.
The family suggests memorial contributions in Monica’s name to LMH Mother Baby Unit and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary 120 W. 13th St. Lawrence, KS 66044
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