Obituary

Cortney Henry, 39, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, died after a tough fought battle with cancer on July 30, 2025. Anyone who knew Cortney, knew that she was a fighter and did not like mediocrity, so she gave it her all to keep the cancer at bay even though the odds were against her with this aggressive type of cancer. All through the treatments she kept a positive outlook and knew that she was fighting to spend as much time as possible with her family and friends.

She was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1985 to James Decker and Kim Louis (Decker).  Cortney and her brother Nick enjoyed spending summers in Haywood, Wisconsin at her grandparents’ lake home. She loved softball and played third base (nicknamed “the sweeper” as nothing got by her) on the Omaha Sizzle Blue team then played for Millard North High School. Many lifelong friendships were cultivated from being a part of these teams. Cortney attended Millard North High School before studying Education at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri then transferring to The University of St. Thomas in St Paul, Minnesota where she earned her Bachelors in Applied Mathematics. Shortly after finishing her degree, she felt a calling to go into the nursing field. Through this path she truly found her passion with patient care. She worked at Maple Grove Hospital in Minnesota while earning her LPN and then upon moving to Kansas City, she went to work at the University of Kansas Health system while completing RN and BSN degrees.  Cortney had a passion for helping people.  She was fortunate to have found her calling and was an inspiration and a mentor to many.

Cortney met the love of their life, Dustin in 2005 while in College at Northwest Missouri State University. Though Cortney was not especially thrilled with Dustin’s sarcasm upon their first meeting it was undeniable there was a spark there. Excited to start their new lives together, the two were married in 2008 in Omaha, Nebraska in a ceremony and reception that many friends and family still talk about to this day.

Cortney and Dustin couldn’t wait to start a family of their own, and their children meant the world to them. Halleigh was born in 2009 and Piper in 2013, and they were two of the most important things in her life. She loved taking them on girls’ trips to Buc-ees as well as spending countless hours in the pool just relaxing. She also enjoyed trips with Dustin and the girls to Branson and Louisville for their Archery tournaments, as well as trips to visit family. Shortly after moving into their home in Lee’s Summit, Cortney with the help of her daughters convinced Dustin that it was time to add a 4-legged family member. Pawter was picked out from a rescue shelter and has been a stalwart companion to the family since then.

While she had numerous friends that she talked to all the time and went on trips with, she wanted to specifically call out Ashley Korus, who has been a friend since they were 10 with the Omaha Sizzle softball team. There were countless others who took time out of their days in the last few months to see Cortney in the hospital and at her home while she was battling. She wanted to specifically mention Heather, Autumn, Lilly, Kelly, Lexi, Rebekah and Thanh along with numerous others.

Cortney was passionate about helping others and most recently was working at the University of Kansas Health system where she spent the last 7 years working on nights in the PACU department most recently as a unit charge nurse. She truly loved the role and the chances it gave her to help patients, and most importantly the chance to help train and mentor new nurses and “her baby anesthesiologists”. It was truly comforting as well as a little shocking to her to see all the love and the sharing of the impact she had on their careers.

Everyone who knew Cortney knew how much she loved Taylor Swift. She last attended the ERAS tour concert in Kansas City in July 2023 with her lifetime friend, Ashley.  She frequently commented that this was one of the best nights of her life. Cortney also enjoyed road trips with her friend Heather and her girls to BUC-EES. She loved spending time in her pool with her friends and family and tried to make it an annual tradition to host multiple family and friend gatherings to hang in the pool. We couldn’t have asked for a better daughter, wife, mother and friend, and will miss Cortney’s indomitable spirit every day. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved her.

Cortney was preceded in death by her father James Decker, and her grandparents Esther and Gerald Decker, as well as Margaret (Bunny) Keech. Cortney is survived by her husband Dustin, Daughters Halleigh and Piper, Parents Kim and Mike, her brother Nicholas Decker (Christa) and grandparents Gerald (Rita) Keech.

A visitation (9:30-11:00am) and memorial service (11:00am) will be held Saturday, August 9, 2025 at Langsford Funeral Home in Lee’s Summit, MO. In lieu of flowers donations to the Stephanie Vest Foundation would be greatly appreciated, as they were gracious enough to help out the family during her cancer treatments.