Kay Owings

October 24, 1946 – April 8, 2022

Stella “Kay” Owings, a loving wife and sidekick, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, lost her battle with leukemia on Friday, April 8, 2022 at the age of 75.

Kay was born in Eureka, Kansas on October 24, 1946 to Charlie and Dorothy Lillie. She graduated from Eureka High School in 1964. She met the love of her life, Jim Owings, in the 6th grade and they were married Palm Sunday of 1965. They had two children, five grandchildren and one great-grand child.

Kay was a well-respected professional with a long and successful career in Wichita, Ks as a payroll supervisor. She worked for a leading restaurant franchisee organization, Property Management Corp., for 30 years. She then went on to Accenture and ultimately retired from InfoSync in 2018.

The Rebekah and Odd Fellow Fraternal Organizations became a big focus for Kay for the past four+ decades where she held multiple leadership positions at the Augusta and Derby lodges, as well as held top positions for the state of Kansas and the international organization. As the Rebekah Assembly of Kansas President in 2010, one of her greatest honors was to lay a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. on behalf of the state.

Throughout the years, Jim and Kay prioritized spending time with family, especially any chance to spend with grandchildren and their new great-grandson. They also loved traveling and made it to 49/50 states, only missing North Dakota. They took multiple cruises and had many great adventures. One of their favorite destinations overall was Victoria, British Columbia, Canada which they discovered during a Rebekah International Convention.

Kay is survived by her husband, James (Jim) Owings of Towanda, Ks; her daughter, Tammy Porazka and her husband Patrick of Wichita, Ks; her grandchildren, Nick Hale and his wife Sarah of Derby, Ks; Cassidy Nolan and Zoe Porazka of Wichita, Ks; and great-grandson, James (Jamie) Hale of Derby, Ks. She is preceded in death by her parents, Charlie and Dorothy Lillie; her infant sister, Sharon Lillie; son, James (Jimmie) Allen Owings; and grandson, Tad Porazka.

A chapel and graveside service is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at Lakeview Cemetery, 12100 E. 13th Street North, Wichita, Ks followed by a Celebration of Life at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows – Rebekah Lodge, 413 State Street, Augusta, Ks.

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with Victory in the Valley, Wichita, Ks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows – Rebekah Lodge in Augusta, Ks.