Kayla Crandall Lipp

Kayla Marie Crandall Lipp, 32, passed away on August 7, 2021, in Denver, Colorado after a fifteen-month battle with Glioblastoma. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Donald and Patricia Dors, and her paternal grandparents, Joe and Dottie Crandall. Kayla, a cherished wife, daughter, and sister, is survived by her husband, Christopher James Lipp; parents, David and Karen Crandall; sister, Hannah Tauk and husband Joe; brother, Jared and wife Jessica; parents-in-law, Roman and Kathy Lipp; sisters-in-law, Nicole and Madeline Lipp, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

There will be a celebration of Kayla’s life with a Mass of Christian Burial at Saint Ann Catholic Church, 7231 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS at 10:00 AM on Saturday, August 21, 2021, immediately followed by a visitation and reception in the Parish Hall, and a private burial service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Head for the Cure (Headforthecure.org — click on “Donate” in upper right corner and then scroll down to “Give to a Memorial”) or The Denver Hospice (Thedenverhospice.org — click on “Giving” and then select “Donate Now”).

Kayla was born in Kansas City, Missouri on August 12, 1988, to David and Karen Dors Crandall. Her cousin Spencer Jones, two months her senior, was her constant companion, so much so that the family joked about them being twins. Three years later Kayla was thrilled when her siblings, twins Hannah and Jared, were born. Kayla loved to help fetch diapers and play with her little sister and brother as much as she delighted in her weekly “Big Girl Day” outings with Karen. The entire family looked forward to their summer and winter trips to Colorado Springs to visit Dave’s parents every year. Full days of hiking or skiing were highlights of these beloved vacations. Kayla attended Saint Ann Catholic School from Pre-K through 8th grade. During these early years, a pattern was established that would continue her entire life. Kayla’s many accomplishments did not come easily to her. Rather, she succeeded by sheer determination and possessing a willingness to work twice as hard to achieve her goals. While Kayla was driven, organized, and methodical, she was also extremely kindhearted, loyal, and fun. Kayla developed treasured friendships during her grade school years that endure still. Dave had a front row seat to some of Kayla’s athletic adventures as her softball and soccer coach. Kayla attended high school at Saint Teresa’s Academy, class of 2007, where she was on the swim and golf teams. Her family recently discovered that during her time at STA, Kayla had taken her color-coding and laminating skills to new levels when they came across her high school class schedules. A favorite weekend activity was watching rom-coms, no matter how cheesy and predictable they were, while feasting on ice cream with her friends. Kayla graduated from Saint Louis University with a Master of Accounting (MAcc). in 2012. While at SLU, Kayla spent a semester abroad in Madrid, Spain. Tucked into her luggage was a special packet of letters her grade school and high school friends wrote her, one for every day she was abroad. Kayla valued the letters so much they all made the return trip home with her. She was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority where she held the office of VP of Operations. After college she moved to Chicago, Illinois and worked as a certified public accountant for CNA Insurance Company. She held positions throughout the Financial Accounting and Reporting team, including roles in Financial Controls, HR Accounting, and most recently External Reporting Manager, a prestigious promotion that recognized Kayla’s hard work and accounting expertise.

Kayla met Christopher James Lipp in Chicago and they married at Saint Michael Catholic Church in Old Town on October 25, 2019. On the return flight from their honeymoon in France, they were able to secure Kayla an entire row of seats in the middle section so she could lie down and sleep comfortably. Chris wanted to think this kind of thing happened based on his likability and solid communication skills, but he readily admits it was in fact a direct result of Kayla’s beautiful smile and engaging personality. With Kayla completely stretched out and sleeping soundly as they made their way home from Paris, Chris decided to watch a series of horror movies in his cramped window seat. Two hours later, Chris was curled up against the window still watching horror movies when he was interrupted by loud laughter all around him. Upon removing his headphones, Chris discovered Kayla had been taking pictures of him and the laughter was coming from their fellow passengers of various nationalities who were thoroughly entertained by the American newlyweds. Kayla and Chris were fortunate to take more trips together to destinations including Bogota, Columbia, Quebec City, Santa Monica, CA, and New Orleans. Chris will miss receiving “Kayla Lists” which she printed out and handed to him. The detailed lists described the things Kayla wanted Chris to do for her, the things for them to do together, and the precise timing required to accomplish everything. Chris found the last “Kayla List” pinned behind her radiation schedule on their refrigerator. It included planning a trip to Hawaii that she wanted to take this month and was decorated with red hearts and XOXO’s. True to her tenacious spirit, Kayla was determined to continue living her life to the fullest by making plans and choosing not to let her diagnosis define her or dictate her days.

Kayla loved her loyal golden retriever, Sadie. From the minute they brought her home in 2017, Sadie never lacked for “puppy hugs” and was a source of much joy for both Kayla and Chris. Kayla loved to swim, ski, golf, travel, and spend weekends at the lake with family and friends. She was an avid fan of the Chiefs, Royals and Cubs, attended games whenever possible, and was fortunate enough to celebrate championship seasons for all three teams. Kayla always loved the mountains and she and Chris were able to realize their dream of moving to Colorado. While living in Denver, they took a daytrip to Lake Dillon with Hannah and her cousin Lindsey and enjoyed another excursion to Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs with Dave and Karen. In Denver, Kayla solidified her title of Ice Cream Connoisseur and Gummy Bear Aficionado while relishing her time with Chris and Sadie.

Kayla was a beautiful person with a spectacular smile and her passing has left a void in many hearts. Though she will be dearly missed, her goodness will live on in the people she loved and inspired throughout her life.

“Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.” Thomas Moore

The ceremony will be live-streamed. https://stannpv.org/crandall-lipp

Assistance by Funeral Advocates, LLC