Kimberly Colton McCrea

Kimberly Colton McCrea — Kim to all who loved her — passed from this life on February 21, 2026, after complications from the Type 1 diabetes she had carried with grace and grit for more than six decades. She leaves behind a family and a community made richer for her presence in it. Born and raised in Sikeston, Missouri, to the late John and Edna Sargent, she was the baby sister to Jan, John, Michele, and her twin, Kathy — a role she carried with characteristic warmth and a little mischief all her days. Kim came of age in a family that knew sacrifice. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, she required the kind of daily devotion and care that her parents, especially her mom Edna, gave without hesitation. What another person might have worn as a burden, Kim learned instead to wear as a quiet point of pride. Kim graduated from Sikeston Senior High School along with eight additional sets of twins. She trained and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Therapy from the University of Kansas and began her career in 1990. After moving to Laredo, Texas, she worked in long-term care, guiding families through tender and difficult moments with compassion and steadiness. She did not merely work with grieving families — she accompanied them, sitting with them in their hardest hours, strengthening them, helping them feel less alone. She retired in 2011, leaving behind not just a profession but a ministry of care. But Kim was no single thing. She was a fierce competitor on the handball and racquetball courts and a tournament- winning backgammon champion — who, legend has it, never once lost to her husband. She was a reader, a true bibliophile who loved nothing more than losing herself in a good Stephen King novel. She was a collector of cookbooks even when every recipe could be found online and a tireless experimenter in the kitchen. She enjoyed being in the driver's seat — whether on the road or in life. Kim loved the Kansas City Royals with the loyalty of someone who never gave up on anything she believed in. She grew up in a Cardinals household and married into Tigers country, but the Royals were hers. She loved technology — she set up the family’s first VCR. She was a Girl Scout, receiving her Girl Scout Gold Award, and she never quite stopped being one in her heart. She adored animals – her miniature pinscher, Trixie and her cat, Kiki, will miss her greatly. She loved to laugh — a full, generous laugh that made other people relax and join in. She had a huge smile that invited people to be her friend. She was kind and gracious, always looking for the best in others and choosing to believe in it. People felt welcome around her. They felt seen. A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kimberly lived her faith through steady service. She loved serving as a chorister and found deep meaning in the history and doctrine woven through the hymns. She played clarinet. She sang in the choir. And though she was sometimes self-conscious about the richness and depth of her voice, those who heard it knew it as simply, unmistakably hers. But above all else, Kimberly was devoted to her husband, children, and siblings. Motherhood was her greatest calling and her fiercest pride. She had once hoped for more children, but the realities of diabetes limited her to two. She poured into Ry and Mitchell a love that was steady, protective, and immeasurable. When Mitchell and Carolina welcomed Chloe and Marcela into the world, Kim's heart expanded in the way only a grandmother's can. They were her pride and her hope. More than anything, she longed to see them grow — to witness graduations, milestones, and the full unfolding of their lives. Her family finds peace in the promises of eternal families and in the sure hope that this parting is temporary. Kim was preceded in death by her parents, John Pack and Edna Colton Sargent. She is survived by her husband, Dennis Mitchel McCrea; her children, Ry Sargent McCrea and Mitchell Sargent McCrea; her daughter-in-law, Carolina Martínez-McCrea; her granddaughters, Chloe Teresa McCrea and Marcela Oni McCrea; her siblings, Jan Sargent Hildebrand (Otto); John Colton Sargent (Janeane); Michele Sargent Hathaway (Vince); and Kathryn Colton Sargent Harline; as well as a beloved circle of family and friends. Private memorial services will be held. Kim’s family asks friends and family to honor her life by performing a day of service on her birthday, June 2nd. In lieu of flowers, the family invites gifts to be directed to the American Diabetes Association or to Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) – to honor Kim, a woman who lived fully and bravely.

Tributes

Kimberly Colton McCrea

June 2, 1962 - February 21, 2026