Sammy Lou Keefer Lambrechtse

July 29, 1936 to February 26, 2025

Sammy was a lifelong Wichitan. Her adoptive parents named her after themselves: Samuel and Louise. She had no siblings. She married at age 16 and had four children with her loving husband Bill. But a head accident at his work turned him into a dangerous person and she was forced to divorce him. She remarried, trying to find economic security for her children. Her second husband contributed his work insurance coverage, but nothing else. So she continued to find work where she could, without a high school diploma.

On the verge of losing her home, she barely squeaked into a trade for an old Victorian house in Riverside. It was full of her children and the site of many a spooky Halloween adventure. As her children grew and moved out, she provided a safe haven for friends, especially gay men. Since she had experienced "hard knocks", she was a softie when she learned of those in need. Some of her "boarders" never paid rent, and occasionally her kindness was met by deceit and theft. Nevertheless, she continued to offer help.

One of her mentors taught her upholstery repair and design, which led to her own business. It did not flourish, but she could mostly keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Once the children were grown, she went back to school and got her GED. Over several decades she took classes at WSU and graduated, at age 58, as an engineer.

She started at Beech in the upholstery department, but moved into the experimental department. She learned to fly and joined the Beech flying club. Later, she worked for Boeing and retired from there, having reached the position of Lead engineer of Technical Illustration.

She loved to learn new skills and was capable of all the "handyman" jobs, including roofing. Over the years, she learned to scuba dive, make stained glass pieces, silversmith and paint pictures. She also loved to travel and used a time-share condo to trade for places around the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, China and a one day visit to Morocco. She also traveled when the kids were small, turning an old van into a camping home.

One of her sons died in a vehicle accident in his teens. A second son went on the road with a band and did not communicate with her until he was in a hospice facility on the west coast. Not long after that, her remaining children estranged themselves from her and broke her heart.

Her friends knew her as a generous, loving person and miss her terribly.

Arrangements by Affordable Cremations Plus, Wichita, Kansas