Obituary for Kay L. Willard

Kay Lafawn (Flitton) Willard, 84, went to sleep forever, on the eve of Halloween, October 30, 2025. This was one of her most favored days to decorate and to make an opportunity to have fun, gather family and friends for chili and treats and some tricks, too. This day came after a shocking diagnosis of leukemia, two months prior.

She is survived by her husband of 62 years, R. Steven Willard, whom they had built their family life and home together in Portland, Michigan. Immediately they took on the family-business, the infamous and loved Candyland. Kay stepped in running this popular business, while maintaining a balanced family life, and was always there for her husband. She was making all the various candy recipes from Steve's great grandfather Santino Guidi.

Throughout her life she was always there for her family and was a creative maker, primitive artist (she called herself that) and she was an courageous person, participating with her own booths, and her own hand made and cut wood pieces, and many many wonderful hand sewn clothing at flea markets, swap meets and art fairs. She still had her great ideas for this autumn season. She was game for most fun road trips, which included her map reading and always taking the dirt roads, while pursuing finding all the unique places and experiences along the road. During her travels for the Willard family car dealerships, which involved driving vehicles across the country to the West Coast, she visited all fifty states—occasionally accompanied by an exchange student or neighbor. Her husband, Steve Willard, Lansing Fire Deputy Chief, was always by her side, leading to numerous tours of fire stations throughout Canada, the United States, and even Europe, where her relatives resided. They made acquaintances wherever they went, and whom many came to visit them in Portland, over the years of their lives. She thoroughly enjoyed a half day road trip to an Amish market and the Trufant flea market, getting her brick of fries and walking through all of the booths, just a short week and a half prior to her final day.

Kay comes from a big Mormon family in Ogden Utah. She was the youngest and the last surviving, out of her seven siblings. She is very loved by her nieces and nephews in Utah. Kay had three kids, Wendy, Julie, and Todd and her daughter-in-law Dolores, she also had six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

All of Kay's beautiful meals and gatherings and decorations and crafts will be greatly missed because she always puts a nice touch on everything she did. She even tipped the trash man with a taped envelope on top of the garbage can. There will only be one Kay LaFawn, she was an original, natural woman, even if she was the quiet one, she lived fully thru her life, and as she said: if anything happens, she'll just let it "roll right off her shoulders" Rest in Peace, Mom! Online condolences may be made at www.lehmanfuneralhomes.com.