Kelly Layne Ware

Kelly's friends, sisters and niece shared their love and hope for Kelly as she quietly approached her end on this earth.

Kelly began her life in Texas and New Mexico and later moved with her family to California in the mid 1960's. She liked living in the country and ran around barefoot and fancy free with her ponytails. As a youngster she had fun with her siblings building forts, picking fruit, playing on the slipper-slide and loving on the family pets. She was educated at Penryn Elementary, Heltons Children Center, Del Oro High, Placer High, Serendipity DTC, Toyon Residential and Napa State Hospital. She went on to attend several adult day programs with a focus on expressing her art. She had a love of color and chose pastels as her medium. She won several Blue Ribbons at the Yuba-Sutter Fair and was a top seller of art at the local Easter Seals. She shared her talent by making artsy gifts for friends and family.
Music was another passion that defined Kelly's world. Her eclectic taste spanned from Liberace to Blackstreet & Dr. Dre. She played the keyboard by ear and loved playing a quick piece for her friends or family. As a young girl, she cherished time spent "honky tonkin'" with her aunts and uncles in Texas.

Kelly loved her nieces and nephews and they remember her as being the "fun aunt" that would dye Easter eggs with them, perform the "pillow monster," and sing them her favorite t.v. theme song of Bad Boys.

Kelly also found meaning through community involvement and advocacy. As a young woman, she participated in the Order of Rainbow Girls and 4-H. Her faith was important to her; she believed in Jesus and doing good to others. A strong advocate for herself and others living with disabilities or mental illness, Kelly took part in rallies and once spoke publicly to a group from United Way about the positive impact Easter Seals had on her life. Living with schizophrenia isn't easy but Kelly didn't complain. After transitioning from care home to care home she made it her life goal to live independently in her own apartment, with her own pets, which she proudly achieved.
The family extends a heartfelt thank you to Lacy De La Fuente of Strategies To Empower People, who professionally cared for Kelly for 20 years while she lived independently with support.
In Lacy's words:
"Kelly lived her life entirely by her own rules — and no one could change that. She had a way of doing things that was uniquely her. Most days, you could find her wrapped in one of her many robes. She filled her days with caffeine, cigarettes in the sun, art, and music — the things that brought her comfort and joy. Her laughter, her honesty, and her spirit made a lasting mark on everyone who knew her. She said she'd miss us when she was gone, but truthfully, we're the ones who miss her every single day."

She is lovingly remembered by her siblings Melody Glaspey (John) of Penryn, CA; Robin Davis (Bruce) of Yuba City, CA; and Coy Ware of Port Townsend, WA; as well as nieces and nephews Desiree Sutton, Gina Scheiber, JD Glaspey, Kinzie Davis, and Michaela Jordan; her mother, Rose Ware of Rocklin, CA; she was preceeded in death by her father, Ray L. Ware of Melrose, NM.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Kelly's birthday, November 23, 2025
1:00 PM- 3:00 PM
STEP Activities Center
950 Tharp Rd Suite 1200-B in Yuba City, CA.

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