Biography: Marie Antonietta Isidoro Hilliard was born in Ancona, Italy on September 13, 1928 and passed away on June 3, 2020. She was a long time resident of Overland Park, Kansas. She came to the United States as a war bride in 1946 where she continued her education, first becoming a radiology technician and later following her true passion to study creative writing, which she later taught at the university level.

Marie was preceded in death by her parents Renato and Magda Isidoro, her sister Victoria Nanetti, and her son Stephen Hilliard. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Patricia and Daryl England, her grandchildren Lane England (Tracy) and Amy Sahely (Kaam), and five great-grandchildren: Sydney England, Jackson England, Gabriel Sahely, Elijah Sahely, and Judd Sahely.
When Marie was in her late forties, she began writing for The Kansas City Star and other local and national publications. She published hundreds of articles that spanned her wide range of interests. She wrote about subjects as varied as snails, poisonous plants, tennis, birds, history and modern culture. Eventually, she determined that she could write and publish romance novels, which she did. Her books were translated into multiple languages, and one of her books Fires at Midnight is currently being used in Germany as a “how to” manual for aspiring writers. She published under her name and pen names Lucinda Day and Marie Flasschoen.

Her writing was her proudest achievement.

In her sixties, Marie learned to play tennis and pool, which became her driving passions for the rest of her life. When a stroke in 2018 precipitated her move to Little Rock to be near family, she missed and pined for her tennis friends and the many hours they spent together on the courts or at the community center. She often expressed how much she missed her long time friends and neighbors.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later time. 

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in her honor to the Humane Society of Pulaski County, Wayside Waifs of Kansas City, or a charity of your choice.