LaDonna L. Snook

LaDonna L. Snook, 79, passed away on March 28, 2024. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who loved and cared deeply for her family and community. Her helping hand, attention and care, generous spirit, commitment to her faith, and get-it-done attitude will be missed by all. LaDonna was born to Ernest and Loris Harper in Lewistown, Montana, on February 3, 1945. She was the youngest of five children and enjoyed having her adult brothers help to raise her and her sister. She loved Montana and its sweeping skyline. She credited Montana and her family with the woman that she became. She attended Missoula College through the University of Montana for one year before moving home to be with her family. She met her first husband and converted to Catholicism. His career brought them to Wichita, Kansas. There, she had her two children, Stacey and Joe. Her family and her faith were the most important things in her life, and she always tried her best to do right by both. She finished her education at Wichita State University earning her Bachelor’s in Secondary Business Education. Commonly referred to as Mom Steffes, and later as Mom Snook, she worked as a teacher at Wichita High School East in the business department. While working full-time, she earned her Master’s in Educational Leadership. She had a passion for teaching and helping students reach their full potential through exposure to career opportunities. After her divorce from her first husband, LaDonna, Stacey, and Joe became closer than ever and formed deep relationships that withstood the tests and trials they faced. She then met the love of her life, Lonnie Snook, and they were soon married. LaDonna became a step-mother to Lonnie’s five children. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, she retired from her 27-year career to focus on her health and wellbeing. She survived that diagnosis and was cancer-free for the rest of her life. In her retired life, she spent time with her husband and their family. They spent a great deal of time in El Dorado, Kansas, where they purchased a home overlooking El Dorado Lake in 2003. There, the family enjoyed plentiful laughs, sunsets, and time with each other. LaDonna enjoyed working with her hands and was incredibly talented at making stained glass, jewelry, and hand sculptures. She was generous with her time and served on various boards and was a member in several volunteer organizations, including Susan B. Allen Hospital Foundation, Soroptimist International, Freya Study Club, Butler Community College Foundation, Newman University’s Party on the Plaza, and Altar Societies serving Blessed Sacrament, Magdalen, and St. Thomas Aquinas. LaDonna will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. We pray that she is now resting in the arms of her Savior, and we look forward to seeing her again in heaven. She is preceded in death by her husband, Lonnie Snook, as well as her parents, Ernest and Loris Harper, and four siblings: Ernie (Gen) Harper, Gilbert (Marie) Harper, Lavern (Carla) Harper, and Betty (Glenn) Shaffer. She is survived by her children: Stacey (Bret) Marcotte, Wichita, KS; and Joseph (Emily) Steffes, Dallas, TX; and her step-children: Cary McDonald, Phoenix, AZ; Vickie (John) Miller, Somerset, PA; Cathy (Kendall) Amburn, Bowie, TX; David Snook, Berlin, PA; and Marcia Snook, Berlin, Germany. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Haley (Marcus) Graeff, Bel Aire, KS; Paige (Devin) Reese, Westwood, KS; Hayes Hungate, Overland Park, KS; Zoey, RyLee, and Sophie Steffes, each of Rockwall, TX; and multiple step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the countless number of students impacted by her guidance and support. Rosary at 10:00 am followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:30 am on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church. Graveside service at 1:30 pm, on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at Ascension Cemetery Mausoleum, Bel Aire, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established with St. Veronica Senior Behavioral Health Hospital, c/o Catholic Care Center, 6700 E. 45th St. North, Bel Aire, KS 67226. Services in care of Downing & Lahey West Mortuary. Services will be Live Streamed through the church's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@saintcatherineofsienacatho1059/streams

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