Rhonda Leigh Holloman

Rhonda Leigh Bean Holloman passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 12th, in her home, surrounded by family. Rhonda was born in 1964 in Coldwater, Kansas. She is survived by her husband Ken (Spike) Holloman, four children, Tyler (Morgan), Kendal Spangler (Jeff), Nathan (Brianna), and Luke, and two step-children, Alisha Darwent (Darren) and Brandon Holloman (Gina), five granddaughters, Ivy, Makayla, Isabelle, Zoey and Adelynn, and two grandsons, Connor and Knox. She is also survived by her sister Brenda Tooley (Michael) and brothers Scott Bean (Jill) and Jerry Bean (Jessie) and Jerry's sons Gunner and Grant. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wanda Marie Bean and Roger Lee Bean.

Rhonda and Spike married in 1992, having four children over the following ten years and enjoying the presence in their lives of Spike's two other children.

Rhonda was a vibrant, sparkling person with a beautiful smile and quiet demeanor, a gifted listener and good friend, a loving daughter and sister, a devoted wife, and a beloved mother and grandmother. Her family was her joy and pride, the primary focus of her life. Rhonda rejoiced in the talents and accomplishments of her children. Her grandchildren were her delight. She was a passionately kind sister and mother, a fun-loving friend who could weave together celebration and common sense, and a fierce player of cards and games, with a glint in her eye when she laid down a winning hand at the family holiday table, shopped for bargains, and cheered her children at sports events. She was much like her own mother in the way she embraced life, found delight in simple things, and loved family.

Rhonda's children recall with love how devoted and how selfless her care for her family was. She never wanted attention directed to herself and was always the caretaker for others in her life. She had an individual, personal bond with each of her children, and had a gift for making each of them feel special and unique. She was happiest when she had a household full of noise and laughter, and she took delight in supporting all of her children in any endeavor they pursued. During camping trips to Colorado and Lake Perry, she enjoyed cooking meals over the campfire and ensuring the trip was a success rain or shine. She was especially gifted at decorating for the holidays and for birthdays. During the Christmas season, her house became a winter wonderland, with hundreds of decorative Santas lining her shelves. Her home was always a welcoming, warm, and inviting place. She passed on many good memories to her children and instilled good habits in them, such as a love of exercise, reading, and spending time in nature.

Rhonda's sister and brothers remember her as a caring, thoughtful, sometimes mischievous sister: someone who fought successfully for a window seat on family trips to Lake Wilson, who would pull back the covers on the twin beds when the beds were not made up exactly right (she was a stickler!) and who loved brightly colored crayons and, at first, truly disliked going to kindergarten. She would curl up to sleep on her sister's shoulder on long trips. She had a gift as a child for stomping her foot while looking cute and thus winning everyone over. She took particular care of her youngest brother Jerry on camping trips in Colorado and while growing up in Scott City and Kinsley. Her sister cherishes memories of their college years together at Fort Hays: making student apartments as homelike as possible, celebrating Oktoberfests and homecoming, enjoying evening conversations and music. Family gatherings and holidays were important to Rhonda. Her smile and laugh and warm interest in others will always be associated with Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas holidays, 4th of July celebrations and family reunions.

Rhonda taught grade school in the Jefferson West school district from 2013 to 2022. She very much enjoyed the children in her classrooms and the vocation of teaching (even in the stressful pandemic period), collaborating with colleagues and partnering with parents to help children flourish. She received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Fort Hays State University in 1986, and taught in Arizona for two years. She was a creative and knowledgeable teacher with a deep understanding of what worked best for students. She had a wonderful sense of humor as well as a quiet way of maintaining order that served her classes and her school community well.

Rhonda was a gifted gardener, making a beautiful home and garden with her husband, Spike. She had a special love for poppies, hostas and clematis, turning her yard into a peaceful summer retreat each year. Her porches were green oases with potted flowering plants, windchimes and hummingbirds. She was an excellent cook and baker who enjoyed exchanging recipes with her mother and making cookies and other treats for her children and their friends.

Rhonda was a runner in college and afterward. She enjoyed being outdoors, and loved going for motorcycle rides with her husband. She enjoyed summer family vacations in Colorado and Florida. Mountains and ocean both drew her, although she also loved the return to her home in Grantville.
Rhonda found support and comfort in her Christian faith throughout her life. She fought courageously and with great grace in the last sixteen months of her life against a cancer that never altered her loving spirit and selfless concern for her husband, children and extended family.

Rhonda was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother. She touched many lives. She is at the heart of many wonderful family memories. She is loved by all in her family and by a wide circle of friends; she will be very much missed. We are grateful that she was with us for the time that we were given. Our memories of her are a blessing to us.

A Celebration of Life will be held on August 27th at 1pm at Parker Price Funeral Home, 245 NW Independence Ave, Topeka, KS 66608. In honor of Rhonda's love of running in the open, sunny air of Kansas, please feel welcome to wear your favorite running shoes with respectful memorial-service dress attire to the memorial service.

Memorial donations may be made to the Meriden-Ozawkie Public Library building fund: online at https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/-GUV4jrmzm0sZdW0xPMNpg (then select Meriden-Ozawkie Public Library building fund) or cash/check donations made out to Meriden-Ozawkie Public Library ? Rhonda Holloman (memo), 7272 K4 Highway, Suite D, Meriden, KS 66512.

To leave a message online for Rhonda's family, please visit the guestbook below.

Rhonda's service will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time. Click Here to view the service.