EVA KATHRYN CANOLES

Eva Kathryn Canoles, 88, better known as Kat or Nana, went home to be with the Lord on December 19, 2024.Kat was met at the gates of Heaven by her beloved daughter, Judy, parents, Hillary and Ruth Lovell, and her brothers and sisters Maxine, Elmer, Douglas, Dorothy, and Ella Louise. Left behind to cherish her memory are her loving husband of 68 years, Don, her daughter Janet Stanley and son-in-law Dwaine, her granddaughters, Alyssa Whatley and Kaylen Melton (Daniel), and great-grandchildren, Cooper, William, and Hannah, along with her brother, Gerald and a host of nieces, nephews and family. Kat was born on February 20, 1936, and was a lifelong member of Valley Creek Baptist Church. She worked on her family’s dairy farm in her youth and graduated from Hueytown High School in 1955. After marrying Don in 1956 she became a homemaker. She was a devoted caretaker of her daughter, Judy, through a decades long illness until her death in 2003. She was a nurturer by nature and always ready and willing to help anyone with anything. She truly had a servant’s heart, putting everyone else above herself. She enjoyed yearly family trips to the beach and sitting on the balcony with Don watching the kids. A true southern lady, every holiday she played hostess to a houseful of extended family. She collected angels and filled her home with angel paintings and knick knacks. She was a big fan of her daily golf cart rides through the hayfield. She loved big dogs, babies, and men with beards.As a caretaker throughout her life, it was only fitting that she was looked after by kindhearted and affectionate caregivers near the end of her life. Rhonda and Crystal made her last few years as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, and she loved them in return. Kat was a living embodiment of being “the hands and feet of Jesus” and we have no doubt that shortly after she took her last breath, she heard the words, “well done, thy good and faithful servant.”Visitation will be Monday December 23, 2024, at Peoples Chapel Funeral Home at 10:00 AM with the funeral service beginning at 11:00 AM. Burial will follow at Valley Creek Cemetery.