Kara Espey's Obituary
Kara Nicole Espey, 31, of Camanche, Iowa, lived her life surrounded by love and was called home on January 28, 2026, gaining her angel wings.
Funeral Mass will be Monday, February 2, 2026 at 10:00am at Prince of Peace Catholic Church. Serving as pallbearers will be Michael Brisch, Roger Campie, Bill Gordon, Troy, Mason and Aaden Hilgendorf. Visitation will be Sunday from 2:00-5:00pm at the Camanche Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory.
Born November 25, 1994, in Clinton, Iowa, Kara entered the world already carrying what would define her life: joy, light and a spirit that made ordinary days feel beautiful for anyone lucky enough to meet her.
Kara had a gift for organization and routine. There was never a schedule or to-do list she couldn’t stay on top of. Her family isn’t sure we’ll ever keep track of life the same way without her. She was happiest when she could take in the details of everyone else’s day, even the most mundane moments. She didn’t just ask out of politeness; she truly wanted to know.
Kara loved the Quad Cities and kept up with it through KWQC TV6, her favorite station, especially their sign-off, “TV6 cares for you.” She also loved tagging along with Alisha to work whenever she could, simply happy to be together.
A passionate sports fan, the Iowa Hawkeyes reigned supreme in Kara’s world. But even more than winning, she loved seeing other people happy. She could find joy in a rival’s success if it meant her friends were celebrating. She loved to socialize at sporting events and was the best cheerleader for her nieces and nephews. Kara shared an especially close bond with her niece Alexa. They grew up side by side and were more like sisters. Their relationship was shaped by Kara’s joy and Alexa’s nurturing nature.
If given the choice, Kara would have eaten a cheeseburger for every meal and you’d rarely find her without a cold Pepsi nearby. Music was another language of love for her and she loved singing along to her playlist in the car.
Kara called Siesta Key Beach her happy place but it became more than a place, it became another circle of family. She was a social butterfly who never met a stranger and people were always drawn to her. Kara had a way of bringing people together wherever she went and making them feel seen and valued.
Above all else, Kara loved her people. What grew around Team Kara brought magic into our lives on the darkest days and she cherished every person who became part of it. Kara loved adding people to the roster and handing out Team Kara bracelets as a small but powerful reminder that they belonged.
Kara will be remembered for her signature smile and the way she genuinely cared for others. She wanted the world to be a brighter place and now it’s on all of us to carry her spirit forward. Even through suffering, Kara never lost her ability to find goodness. At the most difficult times, she would still say, “Life is good.”
Kara was deeply loved by many but she and her sister Alisha shared a once-in-a-lifetime closeness. No one knew her heart more than Alisha; her closest companion, constant advocate and biggest fan. Their bond was built on devotion and the kind of love that shows up every single moment of each day.
Those left to honor her memory include: David and Lori Espey of Camanche; three sisters: Michelle (Troy) Hilgendorf of Camanche, Alisha (Roger Campie) Espey of Camanche, and Renee George of Addison, Illinois; nieces and nephews: Alexa DeVries, Emma Campie, Mason Hilgendorf, Aaden Hilgendorf, Dylan Hilgendorf, Joseph Koenig, Michael Koenig and Nicholas George ; and great-nephew and great-niece: Kaison and Arielle DeVries; her godparents Michael and Kerri Brisch, the best neighborhood family Roxann and John Dixon, Ashtyn Dixon, Alexandra Gassman, Karla Morgan; her best bud, Bennie Boy, and many special aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her grandparents Albert and Sally Espey and Walter and Norma Mojeiko, and her aunt Kathy Goetzel.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family. Gifts will carry Kara’s light forward through a legacy project in her honor.
We believe she is healed and whole and we will honor Kara by loving people deeply, celebrating the small things and remembering like she always did, that life is still good. May we all carry her spirit forward and do our part to make the world a brighter place.
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