Oct 8, 1942 — Sep 6, 2026
Shawnee
Asta Louise Van Keirsbilck, 83, passed away Sunday, September 6, 2026, at her home in Shawnee, Kansas.
Asta was born October 8, 1942, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Soren and Ona Schmidt, who immigrated to Kansas from Denmark. She grew up in Lenexa, Kansas, and graduated from Shawnee Mission North High School.
She married Tom Van Keirsbilck in 1964 and the couple had three sons. Prior to her marriage, Asta was employed at Smith & Loveless Inc. Later, she supported Tom’s construction businesses and Hanover Development, as well as the family’s enthusiasm for auto racing and their sponsorship of Sprint cars. She still had an active role in the development of several area properties right up until her final months.
Asta led a bold life that was rooted in her love of family and community and her enthusiasm for the places and activities she enjoyed. She volunteered for many years with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and was an active weekly volunteer at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shawnee for decades, dedicating her Monday mornings to counting the weekly offerings. She also served 100’s of funeral luncheons for fellow parishioners. Asta helped and supported friends and strangers alike, often anonymously and without recognition.
Asta encouraged her boys’ love of the outdoors, even taking them on hunting trips herself when they were young. She was the only woman in an otherwise all-male pitch league at the Shawnee Knights of Columbus, playing in the league up until her final days. She loved vacationing in Puerto Vallarta and spending time at her family’s vacation home at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Asta was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Ejlif, Gudmund, Simon, George, David (Skip), Steve and Robert, her sister Sandra, and her older sister also named Asta, for whom she was named after. She was also preceded in death by her husband Tom, who passed away in 2016. She is survived by her sister Becky (Parris) Anderson of Bonner Springs, KS. She leaves behind a large and loving family: her son Mike (Joanne) of Leawood, KS; her son Mark (Dawn), of Chicago, IL and her son Tom, of Gardner, KS. She’s also survived by her grandchildren, Ellie, Annie, Ryan, Scott, Kate, Gus, and Vivian, as well as three great-grandchildren, Quinn, Henry and Harlan.
The family also wishes to recognize important people in Asta’s life. Marc Lonesk, her longtime companion; Cynda (Van Keirsbilck) Campbell, who very much enjoyed spending time with Asta, listening to her entertaining stories and being, in Asta’s words, “the daughter she always wanted.”; Paige Loftus, Kathy Dorman, Dianne Moore, Rachel Jones, and Judi Burke who also provided much-appreciated help and companionship to Asta. The family extends their heartfelt thanks.
Visitation will be Monday, September 14, 2026, from 9:30 – 11:00 am with the funeral mass to follow at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 11311 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS. Interment will immediately follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa.
Pallbearers: Ryan Van Keirsbilck, Scott Van Keirsbilck, Gus Van Keirsbilck, Brandon Anderson, Derek Anderson, Ramsey Hagan, Joel Schmidt and Soren Schmidt.
The family suggests memorial contributions to St Joseph Catholic Church 5901 Flint Shawnee, KS 66203.
Asta’s life was characterized by her special combination of bold spirit and generous heart, and that’s how we hope she’ll be remembered — by her friends, her loved ones, and all the lives she touched along the way.
Obituary published by Amos Family Funeral Home.
