3/3/1945 – 12/1/2025
Lawrence
Wanda Jean Vanderpool-Tobin died of peritonitis following surgery in Lawrence, KS, on December 1, 2025, at the age of 80 years, five months, and 28 days.
The youngest of five children, Wanda was born in Meade, KS on Mar 3, 1945 to Iona Olivia and Walt Vanderpool. She was the last survivor of five children from her mother: Yvonne, Iona “Pee-Wee”, Myrtle, and Walt “Sonny”. From her father Walt is surviving siblings Kay Mora (KS) and Todd Schanze (OR) and from her step-father Joseph LaOrange is step-sister Darlena LaOrange (KS).
She spent most of her early years on a farm with her father’s parents, before finally being allowed as a teenager to move to California to live with her mother and step-father. She was a good student, very intelligent and graduated from Franklin High School in Highland Park, CA. If she had had more opportunities in life to excel by the patriarchy, she would have been unstoppable.
She married a Navy enlisted man and together they had three daughters in San Diego CA. They divorced, and Wanda made it a priority to provide for her girls the best she could. Working as a Tiny Naylors Restaurant manager and then at Carter Hawley Hale corporate office in downtown Los Angeles. When her mother moved back to Kansas – Salina this time – Wanda and her girls followed. She worked at First Bank and Trust on Santa Fe Ave for several years, then found a better opportunity working for the State of Kansas, first in SRS (family services), then at KDOT in Human Relations (Department of Transportation). But alas Men and their Patriarchy she retired in 2011 after a long bout of asshat fatigue.
An indomitable spirit and inspiration to her family, Wanda was a creative soul, avid reader, cherished mother of her girls, mother-in-law of two, steadfast aunt, doting grandmother to eight grandchildren and loving great-grandmother of seven. She was always in service to her family, taking care of various nieces and nephews who needed a place to stay, as well as assisting with hospice care for sisters Iona and Myrtle and finally for their mother.
Through her eight decades on earth, Wanda lived through 14 presidents, three British monarchs, the end of World War II, the Atomic Age, Vietnam, Korean War, the Cold War, a presidential assassination and resignation, Desert Storm, 9/11, War on Terrorism, three impeachments and a global pandemic.
Wanda appreciated the music of her era, enjoying the Beatles, The Monkeys, Elvis and John Denver. Housekeeping was done with music at full volume and dancing with her girls. She also enjoyed family singalongs to Bette Midler’s The Rose.
Being a single mother of three daughters was not easy, but Wanda made it work. She was a feminist, with a strong belief that her daughters could do anything, be anything. It is no surprise, then, that two of them joined the Air Force in 1990, leaving two weeks apart for basic training in Texas. This did present Wanda with an opportunity to travel, as she visited her daughter Michell in Germany. She wanted to travel more, but settled with living vicariously through her children and grandchildren for more adventures.
Wanda is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law Yvonne “Lynae” (John) Martin of Kansas City, MO, Michell “Missy” Egger of Raymore, MO, Billi “Jo” (Michael) Riese of Warrensburg, MO.; eight grandchildren: Desi (Rodney), Dominic (Kelsey), Kyle (Hali), Dieja (Seth), Megan, Corey (Kristen), Ian (Caroline) and Madi; and seven great-grandchildren: Kohen, Jordan, Micah, Lorelei, Beck, Avery and Oliana or just Oli as we all call her.
A Celebration of Life will be held to honor Wanda’s memory, with details to be shared at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Lawrence Presbyterian Manor Good Sam, www.presbyterianmanors.org/give-now/ or the DAV Charitable Service Trust, www.cst.dav.org/contributions/. To leave a message for Wanda’s family, please visit www.Rumsey-Yost.com.
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