Our obituaries page allows for you to light a candle for a loved one or leave a guest comment. You are able to search for obituaries by first and last name or by the date of death.

Wanda Ara Lewellen

October 3, 1946 - April 15, 2015

Ara Lewellen, 68, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, due to respiratory failure and complications due to Multiple Systems Atrophy.Ara was born on October 3, 1946, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Dr. Charles H. and Wanda Lewellen. In 1964, Ara graduated from Louisiana High School in Louisiana, Missouri. She then completed her undergraduate degree from The University of Missouri at Columbia.
After her marriage to her first husband, Don Whitener, with whom she had her two daughters, Ara moved to Dallas, Texas, and continued to live and work in that area for over 40 years. While raising her daughters, Ara earned both a master’s degree (1979) and a doctoral degree (1993) in social work from The University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to obtaining her doctorate, she worked in community mental health, serving the severe and persistently mentally ill in both public and private settings. After earning her doctoral degree, Ara pursued an academic career at Texas A & M University at Commerce and eventually became a tenured Associate Professor of Social Work. A member of Alpha Delta Mu, a national social work honor society whose members have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, Ara loved academia and presenting at conferences, but she found teaching and working with her students most fulfilling. One of her greatest professional accomplishments was the publication of a textbook she co-authored with colleagues Ted Watkins and Marjie Barrett titled Dual Diagnosis: An Integrated Approach to Treatment.
In addition to her career, Ara advocated for numerous humanitarian issues. She cared deeply about all people, never met a stranger, championed liberal issues, and befriended all animals. Ara was an avid reader, and she enjoyed traveling with family and friends. As a mother, Ara was devoted to her daughters and loved them unconditionally. In her later years, her grandchildren were a source of great happiness.
Ara was preceded in death by her father, Dr. Charles H. Lewellen. She is survived by her mother Wanda Lewellen of Louisiana, Missouri, her brother Charles (Spouse JoAnne) Lewellen of Excelsior, Minnesota, daughters Kelcy (Spouse Warren) Lofgren of Ankeny, Iowa, and Wendy Whitener of Rapid City, South Dakota, and four grandchildren: Ryan and Ara Lofgren and Kieran and Kenna Stewart.
A Celebration of Life will be held 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, at Collier Funeral Home in Louisiana, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Multiple Systems Atrophy Coalition online or to an animal rescue league of your choice.