Leawood, Kansas – Karen Rae (Casey) Stewart peacefully passed away on March 27, 2025 surrounded by her daughters. She was 82 years old.
Karen was born on June 3, 1942 in Havensville, Kansas to CT and Edna Casey. She was the middle daughter. Her big sister, Jan and her little sister, Pat were her best friends growing up on the farm. She graduated from Onaga High School, went to Kansas State University where she became a member of the K-State Singers and graduated with a degree in fashion merchandising. During her time with the K-State Singers, she toured with the USO Tour to Japan to sing to the US Troops. Karen used this love of design, fashion and beauty to open a children’s clothing shop and dress children well in Kansas City for many years.
Karen loved people. She was vigilant in serving others, showing kindness to everyone and loving people well. She shared this love in many ways, through serving at church, helping to create safe places for at-risk children through her many years of service in Johnson County Young Matrons to help in creating Temporary Lodging for Children in 1972. She helped create the William R. Fischer Scholarship to enhance the K-State Music Department.
She helped all her friends decorate their homes and hung more pictures than a person can count! She lived life to the fullest, being present in each moment and loving others with great abandon. Karen was the consummate host, bringing people together in any way possible. Everyone who knew Karen felt important and loved. She welcomed people into her life and made it her mission to be intentional in each of their lives. She paid attention to the details, whether it be the right place to hang a picture or the right gift to give or the right call to make to show others she was there for them – always. Karen used every hour of each day in a positive and productive way, whether spending it in God’s word, meeting with friends, helping her daughters build a home for their families, sewing for her grandchildren, having a cup of tea or just by being there when a friend needed her.
Karen loved life, but most of all she loved her husband of over 60 years, Evan Ray Stewart. They met at K-State at an SAE Fraternity party and fell in love. Karen was the cutest Little Sister of Minerva! He proposed at the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan and they married on May 24,1964 in the All Faiths Chapel on campus. They have lived in Colorado, California, Missouri, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Kansas, making memories and lifelong friends wherever they have lived. Karen loved to read and discuss books with her friends in her book club, go to the symphony, needlepoint, lunch with her friends and walk her beloved dogs. She was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church and Village Presbyterian Church. She loved Jesus and shared that love through service to others.
Karen and Evan have two daughters, Heather (Eben) Hall, of Kansas City, Missouri and Ashley (Mike) Neff, of Olathe, KS. They have amazing grandchildren, Jake Hall (25), Quinn Hall (23), Grace Hall (19), Joshua Neff (13) and Karis Sandin (soon to be granddaughter in law). Truly they loved their grandchildren with so much love that it almost seems impossible there could have been more love to go around. At no time in their lives, have they not felt loved by Grandma Karen. She gave love, kindness and grace, showing true unconditional love.
Karen will be so very missed by her daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins and too many friends to count. She loved well and she was well-loved. We can hear God saying, “Welcome Home my beautiful daughter.”
A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2025 at Village Presbyterian Church located at 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208. A Visitation will begin at 9:30 am with a Service to follow. There will be a livestream for those unable to attend to view at https://villagepres.org/online
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity of your choice in Karen’s honor.
Obituary published by Cremation Society of Kansas & Missouri.
