Kailee Anne Crandall

In the hearts of those who loved you, you will always be.

Her Story

Kailee Anne Crandall lived her life with a remarkable capacity for loving people. She was generous beyond measure, fiercely loyal, brutally funny, deeply intelligent, and entirely devoted to the people she called hers. To be loved by Kailee was to be known, remembered, and shown up for, again and again.

Born on October 9, 1992, in Paradise Valley, Arizona, to Greg and Cyndi Varley, Kailee grew into a woman of tremendous determination. She was principled and driven, with a mind that was always reaching for something more. While working full-time and living with serious illness, she completed her bachelor’s degree in just two years, graduating summa cum laude in 2024. Kailee was studying for the LSAT even as her health began to take up more of her life. She dreamed of attending law school, of seeing more of the world, and of a long life still unfolding before her.

Kailee found enormous joy in caring for others. She loved to cook and feed the people she loved. She had a tender heart for senior dogs and dreamed of owning enough land to adopt them all. Kailee had the heart of a wanderer. She loved to travel, and after three trips to Europe, there were still so many places she longed to see. Kailee treasured her family. She was a beloved sister, daughter, and a devoted aunt. Known as Aunt Keeks to many of her sixteen nieces and nephews, she was present, generous, playful, and deeply invested in watching them grow up.

To know Kailee was to laugh. She had the rare gift of making the people around her feel more alive simply because she was there. Whatever the circumstances, Kailee always found a way to laugh through them. It was not uncommon for Kailee’s ICU room to be roaring with laughter that filled the quiet halls and probably prompted a few noise complaints. Kailee heroically insisted on finding the joy in the darkest of places and most difficult of times. Those who laughed with her will treasure those memories for a lifetime.

At the center of Kailee’s life was her husband, Ryan.

Their love was extraordinary in its depth and beautifully ordinary in what they wanted from it. They just wanted each other. They were each other’s best friend, safe place, and favorite person. They laughed through years that gave them every reason not to. They did not dream of an extravagant life; they dreamed of a long one together. More ordinary mornings. More inside jokes. More days that began with “good morning, beautiful” and more nights that ended with a kiss. They wanted to grow old side by side.

Through years of profound illness, Ryan remained beside her, and Kailee fought with everything she had for the life they still believed was waiting for them. She endured more than should ever have been asked of one person, yet illness never became the measure of who she was. Kailee remained herself until the very end, an end none of us believed would come. She remained kind, funny, determined, generous, and above all, hopeful. She wanted what she had endured to matter, but she wanted desperately to leave it behind and live.

During the past year, Kailee also began reaching toward God and the belief that there was something beyond this life. She turned to God for strength and comfort during those painful and difficult months. She would ask her sister to read her Bible verses about comfort, her favorite being “Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” - Proverbs 3:5-6. Her faith was new and deeply personal, but belief in an eternal life held meaning for her, and she desired to be baptized once out of the hospital.

Kailee left us on September 15, 2026, at only 33 years old. She leaves behind her beloved husband, Ryan Crandall; her parents, Greg and Cyndi Varley; her siblings, Diana Roberts, Lauren Mount, Paul Varley, Grant Varley, and Austin Varley; sixteen nieces and nephews who adored their Aunt Keeks; her sweet dog Kya, and many people whose lives are forever different because she was part of them. She was preceded in death by her cherished dog Lola, who had been her faithful companion through so much. Her family believes the two of them have been reunited in paradise. Something tells me Kailee will find a way to Amazon an oversized lamb chop plush to heaven.

There should have been more time. More places to see, more plans to pursue, more laughter, more ordinary days. There should have been the long life beside Ryan that they both imagined.

But the length of Kailee’s life cannot contain the measure of it.

She loved enormously. She was enormously loved. She leaves behind the enduring imprint of a person who spent her life making everyone around her better.

For Ryan, and for all of us who loved Kailee tremendously and lost her far too soon, there is comfort in the words the two of them shared so often:

In this life and the next.

We love you, Kailee.

Gallery

Memory wall

October 9, 2026

Pinned

Kailee, this world feels so foreign without you. I have never lived a day without you until now. Not only are you my older sister but you are my best friend. Always by my side through everything. I’ll never forget as kids we made a pact to always be there for each other and you were always there, even while going through the hardest battle.

I know we were never sappy to each other but I miss you so much. You fought so hard and through every diagnosis, through every heart crushing news, through all the hospital stays, you always smiled, you always laughed, you always stayed optimistic, and you always started to work on a plan to get out of this.

The doctors said you were a patient of one, not a single person in the world went through the same battle as you, and I would always tell you it’s because you are a one of a kind. And I wasn’t just saying it to make you smile or be corny as hell, I truly meant it.

These past few weeks have been the hardest days of my life and I will forever walk this world with a whole in my heart but I just keep telling myself two things.

First. That you are finally out of pain. You can walk again, you can see again, you can breathe again, and for the first time in a long time you can live again, in heaven.

And second. What would Kailee do?

I’ll cherish every memory and inside joke. Happy birthday punk, I love you, and as always, still got you a cake.

Austin Varley

September 29, 2026

Pinned

Two weeks without you, Kailee. I still do not know how this is real. I miss you every minute of every day. I love you more than words could ever say and I will carry you with me for the rest of my life.

Mom

September 28, 2026

Pinned

Honey ... fighting SOOO much behind the scenes ... breathing, walking, Remodulin, adhesives, sub-Q pumps, central line pumps, ERs, ICUs, heart caths, biopsies, platelet numbers, hemoglobin numbers, kidney numbers, doctors, more doctors, transfusions, pills ... and more ... YOU DID IT ALL ... with so MUCH grace, courage, and love for all around you. You truly were/are an example in so many ways. I could write book. But for here, I will DEEPLY miss you every day of my life. Your natural enthusiasm, your quick wit, your beauty inside and out, and mostly, your beautiful love. You were/are SIMPLY THE BEST.

Dad

September 25, 2026

Pinned

It's your anniversary today. I am filled with beautiful, joyous memories that, for now at least, carry the sharp sting of your absence. Five years ago, we could have never known how short time was. I am glad we didn't know. You walked towards Ryan with a glow that was to last a lifetime together. I miss you, Muffy. Happy Anniversary my forever beautiful sister.

Lauren Mount

November 3, 2026

Seven weeks.

Seven weeks since I said goodbye to my beautiful Kailee. And there are still so many questions that only God can answer.

I’ve asked Him why. Why her? Why so soon? Why did someone with so much life, so much love, and so much goodness have to leave this earth?

Perhaps the answer is something I won’t fully understand this side of Heaven.

I hold onto the thought that God sees what we cannot see. That our time here is not the measure of the life we’ve lived or the purpose we’ve fulfilled. Kailee’s life was beautiful, meaningful, and filled with a love that will never end.

But knowing that doesn’t make missing her any easier.

Grief is love with nowhere to go. And if that is true, then my grief is simply a reflection of how deeply I love her. How blessed I was to be her mom. How much of her is woven into the very fabric of my life.

So how do I walk this earth without her?

I don’t think I ever truly will walk without her. I carry her with me. In the memories, in the stories, in the laughter, in the tears, and in the countless ways she changed my life. Her legacy lives on in all of us who were fortunate enough to love her.

My faith reminds me that this isn’t the end of her story. That the promise of Heaven is real. That one day there will be no more pain, no more tears, and no more goodbyes.

Until that day, I will keep loving her, keep speaking her name, and keep carrying her light.

Seven weeks without her here. A lifetime of loving her. And the promise of forever together.

Love never ends. ❤️

Mom

November 2, 2026

11/2/26
Dear Greg & Cindy,
We are very sorry & sad we never met Kailee.
(Shelley's and my primary home is in Petoskey MI)
I have been a close friend of Greg since 4th grade.
He has shared w/me SOOOO MUCH about you with us, we feel like we have met.
We (Shelley & I) will be here for your mom & dad if/when needed,
Ross & Shelley Hamilton

Ross and Shelley Hamilton

November 1, 2026

Kailee,
Halloween was yesterday and let me tell you how sad it was not to have our annual conversation of you joining us and you insisting on bringing something even though I always said just you and Ryan here with us was enough. My do those words ring true. We miss you. I’m so sad you aren’t here with us and I’m sad for the thought of my girls not getting to experience the amazing Aunt Keeks! I am so thankful you got to meet Lennon and hold her! That picture is so special to me! But just know that we will tell them about you and show them how thoughtful you were and Weston will be able to share stories with them too! I wish had taken more pictures of all the times we spent together; the random weekly dinners birthdays and holidays. My favorite were the weekly dinners before you moved to Missouri that were filled with laughter, games, and memories. I will forever cherish those times and think of you every time I watch Friends, or order too much food. Till we meet again, my beautiful sister in law.

ANISSA BROCKMAN

November 1, 2026

Kailee was one of the most beautiful women I have ever known. Some of my fondest memories have been holidays spent with the Varley family at Pat and Diana's home. We didn't know her well but I always remember her playing with the kids and how much they loved her. She was always full of laughter and her smile lit up the room. She seemed to really enjoy watching her sisters and mom cooking and laughing and telling stories. I know she was an angel sent to her family and to Ryan and that she made an amazing impact on everyone she met with her beautiful presence and kind heart. I wish for her family to have peace in the memories they shared with Kailee and know that she still laughs and enjoys her family from where she is. She is the Light all around you.

Alana Roberts

October 27, 2026

Six weeks. Six weeks without my girl. 💔

Tuesday morning at 1:10 a.m. will mark six weeks since Kailee took her last breath. Six weeks since my world changed in a way I still struggle to comprehend.

Yesterday, I went back to St. Joe’s.

I saw the empty bench where I sat that night after learning my precious daughter had passed. I can still remember sitting there, trying to process something no mother should ever have to hear. There are moments in life that divide everything into before and after. That was one of mine.

I saw her room. And I cried with two of her favorite nurses.

Those nurses knew Kailee. They cared for her through so much of her fight. Being with them brought back so many memories, and I was reminded once again of just how much that hospital holds for me. Hope. Fear. Prayers. Heartbreak. And a love for my girl that will never end.

Yesterday was hard. Harder than I can adequately put into words.

As I have thought about these six weeks, I keep coming back to Garth Brooks’ song, The Dance.

There is something about that song that speaks to the very heart of loving someone and losing them. If we could see the heartbreak waiting for us at the end, would we still take the chance? Would we still step onto the dance floor?

For Kailee, my answer will always be yes.

I would choose every moment. Every laugh. Every conversation. Every memory. Every bit of the life we shared. I would choose the joy, even knowing the pain that would one day come.

Because the alternative would be never to have had her.

And I cannot imagine a world in which I never got to be Kailee’s mom.

That doesn’t mean I am okay with losing her. It doesn’t mean I understand why her life had to end when it did. And it certainly doesn’t mean that knowing how deeply I loved her makes this heartbreak any easier to bear.

I would give anything to have my girl back.

Six weeks later, I am still learning how to live in a world where I cannot call her, hug her, hear her voice, or tell her one more time how much she is loved.

But I would choose the dance, Kailee. Every single time.

Thank you for letting me be your mom. Thank you for the memories, the laughter, the love, and the privilege of walking beside you through this life.

The dance may have ended here on earth, but my love for you never will.

YOU ARE LOVED. YOU ARE SEEN. YOU MATTER.

Forever and always, my girl.

Mom

October 20, 2026

I went back to Mayo, Kailee. I sat beside the rocks and waterfall, in the place where you were so fiercely loved and where you fought so hard.

These grounds hold some of the hardest memories of my life. The desperate prayers. The fear. The hope. The miracles we begged God for. The fight we fought right alongside you.

A mother’s heart never forgets the places where she fought for her child.

And somehow, sitting there, I found comfort.

Maybe because this place will forever be woven into your story. A story of unimaginable courage, a love that never wavered, and a daughter who fought with everything she had.

Oh, how I wish the story had ended differently, honey.

But nothing, not even your passing, will ever change how fiercely you are loved or how deeply you are missed.

I’ll keep coming back, my precious daughter. I’ll keep loving you, talking to you, and carrying you in every breath of this life.

You were fiercely loved here, Kailee. You are fiercely loved still. And you always will be.

Love, Mom 💜💜💜💜💜

Mom

October 16, 2026

Kailee, I've been searching for the words...they aren't there. Our home has changed since you left. No video calls. No random amazon packages. No art projects to lift your spirits. No random laughs from Lauren out of the blue. No memes. No hilarious GIFS and inside jokes. Our sadness just hangs in the halls of this loss. To know Aunt Keeks was to know the joy and love from my children's hearts. You were always here, even when you weren't. I can't explain it to them and it hurts to try and convey what they've lost, what the family has lost. You've been my little sister for so long and yet I regret honoring your No Hug/No Photos rule. The fist bumps just don't cut it in my memories. Our hearts have forever changed and we will carry Aunt Keeks with us in all we do! Love ya Kiddo!

Jon Mount

October 13, 2026

There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will be in our hearts.

Alva Nguyen

October 13, 2026

Kailee, my precious Kailee. ❤️

I realized today that you will never again walk through the door at a family gathering. You tried so hard to make them all, and I know how much those moments meant to you.

There will always be an empty place where you should be. We will celebrate birthdays, holidays, and ordinary days, and we will miss you in all the moments we once took for granted.

But you will always be part of us, in our stories, in our laughter, in our tears, in the memories that catch us off guard, and in the love that will never end.

You may not be at our family gatherings the way you always tried to be, but you will forever be part of every gathering, every celebration, and every piece of our family.

Your dad told you every day, “One day at a time.” You carried those words on your arm, and now I carry them on mine.

So that is how I will try to do this, honey: one day at a time, one breath at a time, and one memory at a time.

Until I see you again, my beautiful girl.

I love you forever.

Love, Mom❤️

Mom

October 9, 2026

Kailee...KK....Muffin...You had so many names and nicknames throughout your life, but the two that meant the most to me were sister and Aunt.

It is impossible to put into words how grateful I am to have called you my little sister but also for my children to have you have called you Aunt.

You meant so much to so many people and I am reminded of it everyday. Everyone who knew you, remembers a specific time when your presence, your friendship, made a lasting impact.

As we attempt to pick up the shattered pieces left after your passing. I pray we find your strength to battle the challenges and dark days of life, your unwavering faith that life will get better, and dream the big dreams you did.

I will forever hold in my heart the last night we were together in the hospital. The jokes, the laughter and the smiles.

I love you Kailee. You may be gone, but you will NEVER be forgotten.

P.S, I never called you Muffin, but some people did.

Paul Varley

October 9, 2026

My name is Erin Lloyd formerly Erin Maidman, Kailee and I were best friends in junior high and had reconnected over the last 3 years. We told each other we loved each other a couple of months ago through her illness and I will always treasure that, and that I got to reconnect with kailee and be loved by her. I am thinking of her brothers and sisters and her parents who loved her deeply Who I know and also her husband who I’ve never met but knew through her talking about him and how he loved her so beautifully. I love you Kailee.

Erin Lloyd

October 9, 2026

Happy 34th Birthday, Honey. ❤️

From your unforgettable arrival poolside at home, surrounded by gardeners, scrambling for towels, and a jacuzzi, you made your entrance into this world without even a cry! You were loved from your very first moment by your Dad, me, and your four siblings.

Today is your first birthday in Heaven, and my heart aches for you. I would give anything to celebrate with you again.

You are forever loved, forever missed, and forever a part of us.

Happy Birthday, my beautiful Kailee. Until I hold you again.❤️

Mom

October 6, 2026

Kailee and I became best friends in elementary school through our church. We spent countless weekends together, having sleepovers, playing games with our siblings, playing MASH, watching the same movies over and over. We lost close touch when I moved to Florida but I always loved her. She was so fun, and cool, and such a joy to be around. I am so sorry for her loss, and I wish we had stayed close but I cherish the time that we spent together. I am so sorry I can’t attend the memorial but will be thinking of you all and thinking of Kailee that day.

Katie Norman

October 6, 2026

Three weeks.
I still can’t believe I can say those words.
Three weeks since we said goodbye to our beautiful Kailee. Three weeks of learning how to live in a world that doesn’t have her in it.
I saw a quote that said,
“What if every time they cross your mind, it’s because they’re telling a story about you in Heaven?”
And that thought made me smile.
So maybe when Kailee suddenly crosses my mind, I’ll imagine her telling God a story about us.
Maybe she’s laughing.
Maybe she’s telling Him about something silly I did.
Maybe she’s telling Him how very, very much her mama loves her.
And maybe, just maybe, those little moments when she comes rushing into my heart are her way of reminding me that love didn’t end when she left.
It just changed where we find her.
Three weeks without you, Kailee.
And not one moment without loving you.

Mom

October 2, 2026

Kailee –

For 2 weeks and 2 days, I have sat in front of God and realized I have nothing to say. No requests, no explanations. Just a shattered heart and all the things I have been carrying but don’t know how to put into words. I know He understands the things I keep swallowing and the tears I wipe before anyone sees them fall. I do not know how this is real. I do not know how you are gone. Harper and I were on the way home from soccer the other night and I had tears streaming down my face. She asked me if I was okay. I sat with that question for a minute before answering and said “I just wish I could tell her I loved her one more time.” And in a moment when I don’t have the words, that says it all so simply. Kailee I love you, I loved you more than you ever knew, I miss you, and I would give anything to go back. Our relationship was not always easy. There are things I wish I said, things I wish I did differently, and moments I wish God had given us to heal so you would know how very much you meant to me.

I know you are resting in the arms of Jesus, in a new body free of pain and suffering, and you are helping make Heaven funnier and more beautiful than it already is. Because that’s what you did wherever you went. I cannot wait to be reunited with you one day. I promise between now and then to keep your memory alive everywhere I can, but especially with your nieces and nephews who you loved so much. It broke my heart to think of the littlest ones being too young to have memories with you, but they will know you. I do feel for Harper, Madison, Emerson, Easton, Quincy, Reagan and Lennon that their fashion and beauty examples are now Lauren and I but we will do our best to live up to the gorgeous example their Aunt Keeks set. We will sit on the sidelines at games with Starbucks treats for after because that’s what Aunt Keeks did. You will have a place at every holiday dinner because the thought of you not being there is too much for me to wrap my head around. We will make sure every niece and nephew gets a Christmas gift in your name because you were the best gift giver. We will keep your legacy alive because you deserve that.

Until I can hug you in heaven KK… I love you and I miss you more than words can describe.

Diana Roberts

October 1, 2026

To know Kailee was to love Kailee. I was so lucky to have met her in the elevator at AmeriSave on the one and only day we went into the office during COVID when we started our new jobs. I always joked that I basically forced her to be my friend from there.
We would talk every day, whether it was Teams chat, texting, or calling… literally all day while we were remote (oops haha). As we both moved on to other companies, we still always stayed in touch, which I am forever thankful for.
I remember the first time we hung out, we showed up to Chipotle in the exact same outfit… both in a grey target sweatshirt, leggings, and our hair in a bun. Somehow Chipotle and Starbucks became our thing (she got me addicted to both lol), and that was pretty much all we ever needed when we hung out. Kailee was so giving and never thought twice about it. She would send Starbucks for birthdays, spoil the people she loved, and even gave me one of my favorite wallets that I still use to this day.
I’ll always be so grateful that one random day in the office brought us together. She taught me to enjoy the little things in life, to love big, and to always live today to the fullest.

Heather Fischer

September 30, 2026

Kailee bug…. Your friendship was unconditional. Unwavering. True. Almost 20 years, whether they were the inseparable years, the years we went off on our own adventures, or the years we grew up and had our own families, we still let each other know we were there. No matter what. I knew you, and you knew me. Inside and out. I was the type who would just come out and say what I needed to say. You needed to be pried open like a can of beans 😂 It drove me nuts! But I always forced you to talk. Because that’s what you needed. I’ll forever cherish our inside jokes, the memories rolling on the floor in endless laughter…God I wish I still had those videos. We did so much growing up together and I’m proud to say you were always a step ahead of me. Always so determined, driven, focused on becoming better. Your energy carried me through a lot of years when I didn’t have any. Your heart was bigger than the sky! Sometimes we would go months without talking, and then reconnect like no time had passed. Same jokes, same laughs, opening up to each other in the ways best friends do. I regret the time that passed when we didn’t talk, but I’m so happy you knew I was there in the end. That I loved you, so much. That I was still here for you, no matter what. It was AMAZING talking about God and faith with you and I was so excited you had found it and clung to it. Keep a spot warm for me up in heaven. Maybe you can introduce Lola to Jack and watch over him for me until I get there 🥰 I love you, woman! Forever and ever ❤️

Brooke Gauman

September 30, 2026

I miss you so much and I have been thinking about what to even write here. There are so many stories I have with you and so many memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I could talk about the time you dyed my hair orange (tried to go for blonde but we had zero clue what we were doing), to piercing my ears for the 6th time, to teaching me how to drive, to funny scenarios we got in because of the protective sister you have always been, to quoting every line in Friends, to traveling around Europe, and the list goes on.

You have been my best friend and by my side for all of my life. Over time I’m going to keep adding memories because we have millions and I’m so grateful for every single one of them. I wish heaven had visiting hours because I would be there in a second.

Austin Varley

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