Kaia Lee Elise McNeese, 41, passed away in her home March 20, 2025.

Kaia was more than a light, she was a fire, spreading her love and joy to everyone she was close to. She saw people not for their struggles or their past but for the soul that resides deep within them. She knew no day without passion nor night without thought. Kaia touched every soul she encountered, and there is no forgetting the light she gave us or the light we will give because of her.

She was a creative, artistic mind who received greater joy in giving her creations to others than keeping them for herself. Her career was characterized by her expectational sales skills and her desire to do right by all, however what made her so successful was her ability to connect to others and create meaningful friendships that travelled beyond work.

She is survived by her husband James Andrew McNeese, daughters Baylee Doran and Elise Crowder, son Jackson Crowder, stepsons Drew and Gage McNeese, stepdaughter Alexandra McNeese, mother Elizabeth Smith, stepfather Jeff Smith, stepmother Amy Beaver, brother Michael Beaver, and uncle "Bubba" Jim Donnelly.