Kay (Esser) Evans

Kay (Kathleen) Evans, 77, of Urbana died at 7:46 am Saturday (January 4, 2020) at Carle Foundation Hospital.

Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 am Thursday, January 9, 2020 at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Urbana. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at Renner-Wikoff Chapel, Urbana. A private family burial will be held at Eastlawn Burial Park at a later date.

Kay was born on January 23, 1942 to parents Carl and Betty (Bullock) Esser. They preceded her in death. Kay attended Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Kay married Graham Evans, of Aurora, on June 18, 1966.

Kay is survived by her husband, Graham Evans; their children, Carl (Jennifer Roth) Evans of Urbana and Michael (Cyndi) Evans of Los Angeles, her granddaughter Nora Evans of Urbana, and her siblings Stephen (Kathy Manger) Esser of Kendall Park, NJ and Liz (John) Epps of St Louis, MO.

Kay and Graham moved to Urbana in 1977. Here, Kay found a place uniquely suited to her special talents. Kay created family wherever she went. For many years Kay ran a home daycare center, becoming a surrogate Mom to many Urbana children. Kay’s creative talents found an outlet in her sewing and quilting. An avid crossword fan, she seemed to always have one in progress. Kay found strength and solace in her faith and was an active member of St Patrick’s Catholic Church. 

Kay loved to travel and was always ready for a new adventure. That adventuresome spirit was challenged in 2015 when she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. Undaunted, Kay researched the disease with the help of family and friends. She received successful treatment in Chicago until 2018, when a bone marrow test showed progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Kay will be greatly missed by family and friends.

Memorial contributions may be made in Kay’s honor to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

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