Wanda Sue Crabtree, 89, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, passed away peacefully on April 14, 2025.

Wanda was born on January 2, 1936, in Columbia, Missouri, to John and Mabel McBride. In 1954, at the age of 18, she married Chuck Cooper and began her journey as a devoted military wife. Together, they traveled extensively during Chuck’s 20-year career in the United States Air Force, living in Japan, Turkey, Spain, Kansas, and Missouri. In 1957, they welcomed their beloved daughter, Bina Sue.

Following Chuck’s retirement, the couple settled in the Kansas City area, eventually building their family home in Lee’s Summit. Wanda worked in administrative roles in the construction industry before beginning a fulfilling career in civil service with the General Services Administration (GSA).

Chuck preceded her in death in 1998. In 1999, Wanda found love again and married Don Crabtree. Together, they built a new home in Independence, Missouri, where they enjoyed many happy years before moving to John Knox Village in 2022. Don passed away later that year.

Wanda will be remembered for her warmth, her unwavering love for her family, and her endearing habit of always using her loved ones’ full names—Bina Sue, Tommy Scott, Heather Marie, and Lisa Kay—much to the amusement of those closest to her. She cherished her role as a mother and grandmother, and she held deep affection for her granddaughters, Heather Marie and Lisa Kay.

In her later years, Wanda found joy in the simple pleasures of life, especially enjoying ice cream, which she affectionately claimed as her favorite thing in the world. Her final years at John Knox Village were filled with peace, sweet memories, and the comfort of family and community.

Wanda leaves behind her daughter, Bina Sue; her brother, Tommy Scott; granddaughters, Heather Marie and Lisa Kay; and many extended family members and friends who will miss her dearly.