Karen Kooi, 69, of Kearney, MO, passed away May 30, 2021 at Liberty Hospital.
Karen was born in Yuma, AZ. While residing in Kearney since 1988, she worked at several banks in town including Kearney Commercial Bank, Citizen’s Bank and Community Bank of Excelsior Springs. You could also find her smiling face at Pour Boys and happily helping customers at the UPS Store, both in Kearney. Karen was an extremely hard worker and was not afraid to take on any task thrown her way. She enjoyed cooking for her family, friends and even the football players and coaches when her oldest son, Kevin, played and coached – those guys were well taken care of by “Mama Kooi”. She loved spending time with her kids and her grandchildren, supporting them by attending their various sporting events (and being the loudest one in the stands) and promoting her daughter-in-law and granddaughter’s cookie business every chance she got. Karen’s favorite place in the world was the warmth of the desert. While she spent most of her adult life as a Midwesterner, her heart was always in her hometown of Yuma. Karen talked to anyone and everyone and made friends wherever she went.
She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Hefner; mother, Vada Hefner; brother, Jerry Hefner; and her sister (and best friend), Joyce Valikai.
Survivors include her husband, Kent, of Kearney; son, Kevin and his family (wife, Laura and children, Kennedy and Keagan) of Kansas City, MO; son, Kyle and his family (wife, Rachelle and children, Grace, Ava, Brecken and Adalyn) of Kearney; and daughter, Katie and her family (husband, Doug and child, Dillon) of Kearney; sister, Brenda McKay (husband, Alvy) of Yuma, AZ; along with numerous nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.
Karen will be missed deeply by all who were blessed to know and love her.
A celebration of life will be held privately by her family members at a later time.
Arrangements in care of Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Kearney.
