Maria Hondras Obituary (1957-2025)

Maria Anthi Hondras, PhD, DC, MPH, beloved daughter, colleague, and friend, died unexpectantly on May 3, 2025, in Wichita, Kansas. Maria was born on December 16, 1957 in Lancaster, PA to Dr. Thomas N. Hondras and Irene (Bisbikis) Hondras. Maria graduated from Radford High School, Radford, VA, where she excelled in both academics and athletics, especially in tennis and swimming, sports which she pursued at high amateur levels, achieving 'approximately 131' ribbons and trophies during her career. In her midlife zeal for clutter clearing, she donated her old trophies to a non-profit group which refurbishes such items into new awards for child-athletes with special needs so that they may experience the same sense of accomplishment she had from sports. As a young adult, Maria traveled to her ancestral homeland of Greece, throughout the United States selling magazines and having adventures, and taking courses at several colleges until she received her calling to become a manual therapist, chiropractor, and clinical and health sciences researcher. As a healer, Dr. Hondras had great hands, a phenomenal ear, and the kindest heart – everything and more you would want from a doctor. Maria graduated from National College of Chiropractic, Lombard, IL, with her Doctor of Chiropractic degree on a Friday in 1989, and the next Monday started her work in the college's research department. Maria completed a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1993. Dr. Hondras was always at the forefront of scientific investigations in the field of chiropractic, pain management, and evidence-based practice and received substantial funding from the Health Research and Services Administration, National Institutes of Health, and numerous foundations to support this work. Along with her dear colleague and life partner, Dr. Patricia C. Brennan, she conducted some of the first studies on the physiology of chiropractic care. Maria was an exceptional clinical trialist who studied the effectiveness and safety of chiropractic care for persons with spinal pain in such diverse populations as women with dysmenorrhea, Veterans and military personnel, and older adults. She also was an early contributor to the Cochrane Collaboration in its development of clinical guidelines for manual therapies, and later to the Global Spine Care Initiative. Maria was a clinical researcher at the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon, and a health and safety officer with UPS before joining the research faculty at the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, Palmer College of Chiropractic, in Davenport, Iowa, where she became an Associate Professor. Dr. Hondras taught chiropractors in the Master of Science in Clinical Research program, her calling as an educator 'of the next generation' among the most cherished of her many jobs. She also collaborated on many clinical trials of back and neck pain treatment. At a time when some academics start looking towards retirement, Maria said yes to an unusual opportunity: to complete her PhD at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Denmark, and to collect research data at the newly opened World Spine Care Clinics in Shoshong and Mahalapye, Botswana. Speaking neither Danish nor Setswana, Maria packed her bags for the adventure of a lifetime, becoming an integral member of the WSC Research Committee and successfully defending her dissertation research to earn her PhD in Health Sciences in 2015. Maria went on to serve as a senior researcher in the anesthesiology department at University of Kansas Medical Center, in Kansas City, KS, and an inaugural member of the Research Development team at Frontiers Clinical & Translational Science Institute at the University of Kansas. Dr. Hondras authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and at her passing, had 'approximately 2,964 citations' to her credit. She also was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Public Health Association Chiropractic Health Care Section. Maria loved her students and appreciated her colleagues, and her contributions to science will no doubt continue long after her passing. Beyond her academic accolades, Maria was a Sagittarius in all ways, independent, fiery, strong-willed, she followed her heart and wherever her arrow flew. A global explorer, she set her feet on most continents, and particularly enjoyed traveling to New Zealand, Australia, France, Norway, South Africa, and Greece. She was pleased to have seen most of the United States, especially liking the time she spent in Las Vegas, Sedona, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Manzanita. Maria enjoyed waking up early, watching the earth turn toward the sun, a cup of coffee and her first cigarette of the day in hand. Maria loved reading mysteries, thrillers and daily affirmations, played an intense game of Scrabble, and was unbeatable in any game that took split-second decision-making, which came in handy when playing video poker, too. She couldn't keep a secret, and you couldn't make her dance, but if Maria decided to sing, you were in for a treat. Maria really loved her pets, which included cats, although dogs were really her best companions, including Millicent of Willow Court (Millie), a Westie, and her beloved doodle and background actor in all conference calls, Niko. Maria is survived by her mother, Irene Hondras of Lititz, PA, and several cousins. Her good friend and past partner, Stacie Salsbury, will miss her forever, too. Maria was preceded in death by her father, Tom Hondras, her grandparents, Christ and Maria Bisbikis and Nicholas and Anthi Hondras, and her beloved, Pat Brennan. Please celebrate your great good fortune of knowing Maria in your own way whenever you think of her. Rather than send flowers, please honor the memory of Dr. Maria Hondras with a donation in her name to Milagro House in Lancaster, PA, or consider contributing to World Spine Care.