Kay Warner at 80
Quiet, dedicated, and dependable – the kind of leader who didn’t seek recognition but earned it anyway. That’s how people describe Wichita Presbyterian Manor resident Kathryn “Kay” Warner, a recent inductee into the Pawnee Heights School District Hall of Fame, honored in February 2026.
Kay began teaching for Pawnee Heights in 1972 as a substitute teacher and became a full-time teacher in 1973. She taught junior high English & Reading until 1979 when she became the fourth-grade teacher for 17 years.
“She understood her role as an educator,” says her son-in-law Tom Borrego. “She told me that she herself was someone who needed to work hard on her schoolwork, so she understood those students and wanted to help them succeed.”
Kay retired in 1996 but continued volunteering. In 2001, she ran for a position on the Pawnee Heights school board where she served for eight years.
“After mom retired from teaching, her colleagues reached out and asked her to run for the school board as a write-in candidate. She laughingly said ‘sure, why not?’ thinking there was no way a last-minute write-in candidate would be elected,’’ says her daughter Christine Warner Borrego. “Wouldn’t you know it – she was elected to the school board. People knew she would bring a strong work ethic and integrity to the position.”
The letter nominating her to the Hall of Fame expresses the same sentiment. “Parents, teachers, and school administration knew her to be fair and equitable while prioritizing the best possible education and outcomes for students,” wrote former Pawnee Heights superintendent Danny Binder. “Kay Warner exemplifies the character and spirit of giving that is the Pawnee Heights foundation for success.”
“She was a quiet leader,” Tom adds. “She never sought leadership roles but was recognized for her talents and asked to serve.”
Kay with her family at the Hall of Fame ceremony
In her modesty, Kay says she couldn’t understand why someone nominated her. But she’s most proud of “helping the students I taught.”
And she has much more to be proud of. Kay’s story starts as the daughter of a military officer who served as the Assistant Surgeon General under President Franklin Roosevelt. She was used to moving frequently and when she married her husband, Gene, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, the couple was stationed abroad. They later moved to San Antonio, Texas before returning to the farm owned by Gene’s family in Burdett, Kan. “After experiencing a rich and diverse life abroad, Kay was now the wife of a farmer, rancher, and later, a business owner,” reflects Tom. “She embraced her new community by earning her teaching license at Fort Hays State University and began a career in education.”
Kay has been an inspiration to many – most notably her daughter Christine. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Christine built a distinguished teaching career of her own and was inducted into the Kansas Teacher’s Hall of Fame in 2020 – another testament to Kay’s legacy.
Kay and her family continued giving to the district for many years; she donated financially for library materials and shop machinery and has funded and awarded the Warner Family scholarship to a graduating senior in the district for more than 25 years.
“Kay has always been a dependable person,” says Tom. “She was always attentive to her grandchildren intertwining educational experiences with everything she did with them.”
Kay moved into Independent Living at Wichita Presbyterian Manor in 2023. In November 2025, she transitioned into the community’s memory care neighborhood where she continues to stay engaged.
“The family has been impressed with the care and attention given to Kay,” says Tom, who worked as PMMA’s Vice President of Development. “We’re glad to hear that she has engaged the community in memory care and often tells us how busy she has been. We’re glad she’s active and cared for.
Kay says she likes getting her nails done every other week and enjoys the piano player who visits on Mondays.
“I knew the quality of care that Presbyterian Manors strive to achieve. Watching my mother-in-law experience this care has been a source of comfort to her family.”
A quiet leader who embraced caring for students, now embraced by a community devoted to caring for her.
Congratulations Kay Warner on your induction to the Pawnee Heights Schools Hall of Fame! Thank you for your lifetime of service to our Kansas students and communities.
