Mary Kae Waytenick, 75, passed away on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at home in Rock Island.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at Church of Peace United Church of Christ, Rock Island. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, Rock Island. Burial will be in Reynolds Cemetery, Reynolds, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Church of Peace, Rock Island or Quad City Symphony Orchestra youth programs.

Mary Kae was born January 4, 1949, in Moline, to Ruth and Harold Sederquist.  She married Paul Waytenick on October 12, 1974, at the Church of Peace in Rock Island.

She received a B.M.E. from Augustana College and Master's degree in organ performance and musicology from Indiana University.  She was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity.

Mary Kae was a talented musician, director, composer, and educator. She was the organist and Director of Music at Church of Peace for over 40 years, directing the chancel, children's, and bell choirs in that time and arranging many songs, writing skits, and planning worship services. She directed Quad City Flutes Unlimited, taught piano lessons, and accompanied many other performances in the community. She also served as the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Education Director for a time and was president of Volunteers for Symphony, helping to publish their two cookbooks. She was a music teacher at Alleman, Sherrard, and Rockridge School Districts in her career teaching band and choir, and inspiring many students and their love of music.

She rarely sat still. She had a huge garden in the summer, started the Rockridge Royals 4-H club, played bridge, was an excellent baker, planned parties with friends, traveled on family vacations, and loved living and raising her family in her grandparents' farm house.  Mary Kae was so loved by Paul, Jessica, Aaron, her family and friends.

Survivors include her husband, Paul; children, Jessica Waytenick and Aaron (Tracy) Waytenick, Milan; grandchildren, Olivia and Adeline; brothers, Thom (Gail) Sederquist, Orion and Rick (Gail) Sederquist, Taylor Ridge; nephews, Jim (Katie Casey) Sederquist, David (Callie) Sederquist, Andrew (Callen) Sederquist, Michael (Benjamin Rogers) Sederquist, Almond (Danielle) Zenaida, Ainon Zenaida and extended family.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Condolences may be left for the family online at www.wheelanpressly.com.