Inken Willis

Inken (Engel) Willis, 78, of San Antonio, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home on New Year's Eve. She entered this world on March 8, 1941 in Witten, Germany to Dr. Heinz and Agnes Engel. At the mere age of 18, she met, married and moved to the United States with the love of her life (and husband), Leslie Elbert Willis Jr. Omi, as she was known by most, raised six incredible (and incredibly different) children. Once her children left the nest, she developed a passion and love for traveling the world. While she was fortunate to be a stay at home mom, she volunteered for many years for CASA, advocating for abused and neglected children. She used tennis and golf as an escape from the chaos, and while golf was never her forte, she was an absolute pro on the court. If she was not traveling or playing sports, you would find Inken betting on her favorite horse or pulling a slot machine handle in Vegas. Inken was German to the core. She was generous to a fault, the life of every party. She was a creature of habit, was soft-spoken, easygoing, compassionate, and most of all loving to everyone she met. Aside from margaritas and cosmopolitans, her greatest enjoyment was spending time with her children, grandchildren and innumerable friends. She is survived by her four children: Lee (Lorie) Willis of San Antonio, Heide Langdon of Virginia, Christina Komet of San Antonio and Kevin (Kelly) Willis of Arizona, as well as step-daughter Cindy Blanks of Houston; 15 grandchildren: Russell Blanks, Kara Irvine, BJ Gabbert, Inken Meyers, Addison Isaacs, Colton, Mason, Wyatt and Kylee Willis; Sarah, Alexander and Evan Komet and Drew, Parker and Klaire Willis, as well as 7 great grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband Leslie Elbert Willis, Jr., step-daughter Beverly Ann Culbreath and sisters Heide Tibbs and Antje Kecskes of Germany. Inken also loved the Lord, in most recent years attending Community Bible Church after a lifelong following of the Lutheran faith. A private family service will be held followed by a Celebration of Life gathering at Wildfish Restaurant from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on January 13, 2020. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Child Advocates San Antonio (www.casa-satx.org).