Wanda Joyce McKean

1930 - 2025

Wanda Joyce McKean

May 20, 1930 - July 25, 2025

Wanda Joyce McKean, age 95, of Mesa, Arizona, formerly of Kearney, Nebraska, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, July 25, 2025, with her daughter lovingly holding her hand until the end.

Wanda was born on May 20, 1930, in Harlan, Kansas, to Bernard and Flossie (Humrich) Fulmer. She was the second oldest of five children and began caring for others from a young age gift that defined her life. After several moves, her family settled in Kearney, Nebraska, where she met her future husband, Leonard McKean. They were united in marriage on January 12, 1946, in Smith Center, Kansas. For nearly 57 years, Wanda was a loving and faithful wife until Leonard's passing in 2002. Wanda and Leonard were blessed with two children, Bradley McKean and Lesa McKean Liveringhouse.

The McKeans began spending winters in Mesa, Arizona in the mid-1970s and moved there permanently in 1986.

Wanda embraced life fully. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She was a longtime member of the Evening Bells Extension Club and Christian Women's Fellowship. A natural hostess, Wanda delighted in cooking, baking, and entertaining. December was her favorite time of year, when she'd prepare hundreds of homemade Christmas treats for visiting family and friends, a tradition cherished by all.

She was always present and supportive attending her children's activities, serving as their personal taxi driver, and later pouring that same devotion into her grandchildren. Wanda also adored Disneyland, making countless trips and joyfully riding the attractions well into her late 80s.

A woman of unwavering faith, Wanda was raised in the Church of the Nazarene and later faithfully attended Central Christian Church in Mesa. She began every day with prayer and devotion, embodying kindness, strength, and compassion. After raising her children, she babysat for many years and became affectionately known as "Grandma Wanda" to many. She also worked part-time at Monet's dress shop, helping women choose elegant apparel a fitting role for the classy woman she was.

After Leonard's death, Wanda found what she called her "true purpose in life" when she began working at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral Care as an Assistant Funeral Director at the age of 73. She assisted at hundreds of services, offering comfort, empathy, and heartfelt connection to grieving families. "My heart breaks right with the families I'm working with," she once said, a testament to the deep love and understanding she brought to others in their most difficult moments.

Wanda is survived by her children: Brad McKean and wife Terri of Kearney, and Lesa Liveringhouse of Mesa; her sister Karen Smith of Mesa; her granddaughters: Tiffany (Chris) Hughes of Columbia, Missouri; Raeanna Liveringhouse of Prescott Valley, Arizona; Courtney (Jason) Ashley and Kelsey McKean, both of Kearney; and her great-grandchildren: Connor and Owen Hughes of Columbia, Missouri; Sophie Kreider and Aneka Ashley, both of Kearney. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Kathy Fulmer, and many more nieces and nephews across the country who adored their beloved "Nonni."

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bernard and Flossie Fulmer; her in-laws, Vernon and Clara McKean; her husband, Leonard McKean; her brothers, LaMoine Fulmer (and wife Nita), Gary and Larry Fulmer (infant twins), Kenny Fulmer; her sister, Phyllis (and husband Eddie Ronnberg); her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Earl and Elva McKean; brother-in-law, Johnny Canfield; her nephew, Randy Fulmer, infant nephew, Troy Canfield and infant niece, Melanie McKean.

Wanda never met a stranger and was loved deeply by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. Her unwavering faith, generous heart, and joyful spirit made the world a better place. She will be profoundly missed.