Irena H. Kinsinger

Irena Kinsinger, born August 1, 1937, passed away May 12, 2020. Survived by husband Donald Kinsinger of Wichita, KS; daughter Dee Hilyard and son-in-law Ward Hilyard, of Goddard, KS; daughter Kim Dague and son-in-law Larry Dague of Flower Mound, TX; sisters, Cleona Flipse, Colby, KS, Cleta Ledbetter, Wichita, KS and Veta Lamb, Leon, KS; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son, Lawrence Saunders, in 2016 and by her brother, Robert Coval, of Seattle, Washington. Funeral services will be at 10AM Monday, May 18th at Resthaven Mortuary in Wichita with graveside services at 11:30 AM Monday in Greenwood Cemetery at 11:30 am. Due to social gathering restrictions, physical attendance is for family only, however online streaming of services live is available at https://www.facebook.com/Mcgilley-George-Funeral-Home-Cremation-Services-158675217497306.

She was a great listener and always found good in everything and everyone. She was a sweet person with a gentle disposition. She loved her husband of 31 years, and never stopped thinking he hung the moon. She always wanted to help others and gave good advice when asked. She was good at keeping secrets and was a great confident. Her son-in-law, Ward Hilyard, considered her his best friend. She had that kind of effect on people she met. She put everyone else first, unless she was playing cards. She was an avid card player, especially 3-13.

She was very proud of her children – it didn’t matter what you chose in life, as long as it was what you wanted, she encouraged and supported you. She was a detailed record keeper, coming from her background as a bookkeeper. She was a lifetime charter member of Weight Watchers and was a speaker for many years and a mentor that encouraged others to lead a healthy life. In the early years of Weight Watchers, you had to make everything from scratch. Her children loved to help her make homemade pizza, each having a role in creating the pizza. As adults, her daughters often called her for tips on cooking.

She loved to paint – she did acrylics mostly. She loved flowers. Her favorite color was purple. She loved spending time with her grandchildren. She got to take a lot of trips – going to Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and even London. She loved visiting her daughter in Texas and riding her motorized scooter outside. She loved rabbit mode better than turtle. She loved Christmas lights and going for drives. At Christmas time, she loved to share pictures.

If you knew her, this list would go on forever. If you didn’t, you missed out! And she will be missed by all who knew and loved her.