Karla Sue Standlee
June 6, 1954 ~ October 12, 2022
With heavy hearts, we share the passing of our beloved Karla Sue Standlee (Williams), 68, of Wichita, KS. Karla passed away peacefully on October 12, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. Karla was born on June 6, 1954 in Wichita, Kansas where she attended Southeast High School. Soon thereafter, Karla married and began raising her family. She also continued her career in the accounting department at Pizza Hut Inc., where she worked for more than twenty years and made lifelong friends. Life took many twists and turns, but the sweetest turn came when her high school flame Chris Standlee reentered her life, thus beginning a love story that lasted 28 beautiful years. Shortly thereafter, Karla received her first cancer diagnosis, with chilling odds. Despite knowing they may not have much time, Karla and Chris married and began raising their blended family of three cherished children: Christopher, Brian, and Kelsi. Karla initially beat the odds, blessing her family with 24 “bonus years” with her, until a new battle with leptomeningeal cancer began in 2018. Her husband’s work took Karla across the country, first to St. Louis and then Washington, D.C. During this time, she nurtured her passion for gardening, eventually studying and earning a horticulture degree and her designation as a Master Gardener. She spent much of her time volunteering at local greenhouses, including the Missouri Botanical Garden, as well as tending to her own gorgeous gardens wherever she went. But those who knew Karla best knew that her heart beat for Wichita, where she finally returned in 2016. One of Karla’s greatest joys was spending time with her four grandchildren Arjun, Simran, Rishi, and Kaden, who collectively won the grandmother jackpot upon their births. She made every moment with them special. A family matriarch in the truest sense, nothing mattered more to Karla than her family. She loved her whole family, despite our eccentricities and occasional dysfunction. She doted on us, worried about us, celebrated us, resented us, forgave us, and never stopped loving us. Karla was deeply devoted to those she loved, willing to drop anything and everything to be by their side in times of need. Karla was known by both her children and adult friends for raucous dance parties and pajama parties; a love of all things Christmas; the best chocolate chip cookies on the planet; an everlasting search for “killer shoes”; and an unfailingly kind and generous spirit. Karla always rooted for the underdog. She was compassionate and generous towards those less fortunate than her, even during the toughest times. Regardless of politics or creed, she believed firmly in the decency of others. She had big dreams for her children, but nothing mattered to her more than raising them to be good and kind. Karla valued honesty, loyalty, and autonomy. She was fiercely independent and believed fervently in a person’s right to choose the life they want. She knew firsthand that life was precious, and she encouraged all of us to live every moment to its fullest. The world is a warmer and kinder place because of her. Karla is preceded in death by her parents Jimmy and Genevieve Williams and her aunt Madeline Allen. Left to cherish her memory are her soulmate Chris; her three children Christopher (Silpa), Brian, and Kelsi (Brady); her four grandchildren; her sisters Judy and Lora; as well as extended family and friends who loved her dearly. A celebration of Karla’s life will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 21, 2022, at Plymouth Congregational Church, 202 N. Clifton Ave., Wichita, KS. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society. Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.
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Chris, My sincere condolences to you and your family at the passing of Karla. Your dedication and commitment to the care of Karla over these last few years is a testament to your character and love for Karla.
Sincerely, Dave VanderGriend