Helen Marie Kannady, 94, of Jenks, OK passed away Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Tulsa. She was born July 4, 1931, to Edith and Robert Milliser in Broken Arrow, OK. Upon graduation from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Helen married Robert (Bob) Kannady of Collinsville, OK, and together they determined to create a loving family whose upbringing brought honor to God.
After the births of her son, David, and daughter, Karen, Helen realized that her children would be grown and gone before she was ready. So she used her gift of mothering as a foster parent, caring for more than 15 children through those years. Seeing the great need for child advocacy gave Helen a new vision: a college degree to become a social worker. Through her years working with children in the "system," she spent many hours at juvenile court with her clients. The next step then became law school to work in juvenile court as an attorney. The opening for a special judgeship at the juvenile bureau came before Helen was finished with law school. With special permission from the Oklahoma State Supreme Court, she began the assignment with the assurance that she would complete law school and the bar exam. When the time was right, she stepped aside from that position to practice family law.
As her children married and gave her precious grandchildren, she wanted her home to be a memorable destination to visit. Beyond gardening of vegetables and flowers, Helen and Bob collected a menagerie of exotic animals to entice the grandchildren. (What child wouldn't love to have a goat climbing on his back or to pick up beautiful peacock feathers from the ground or shoot the occasional snake that got in the chicken house?) She also enjoyed sewing, quilting, cross- stitching, canning her garden vegetables, and most of all, hosting friends and family with a home-cooked meal. She tried her hand at all kinds of crafting: ceramics, decoupage, China painting, candle making, soap making-nothing was beyond her ability to try.
As a child Helen was invited to Central Church of the Nazarene and soon gave her life to Christ. She remained a faithful member of Central and was loyal to her pastors and Sunday School class. Using her gift of hospitality, Helen became the unofficial church hostess, welcoming general and district superintendents, missionaries, evangelists, even lonely college students into her home.
Helen is preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Bob Kannady, sister, Janice Flud, and brother, Gene Milliser. Helen is survived by her son, David and wife Sharon, daughter, Karen Mickle and husband Ted, six grandchildren--Brian, Erin, Elizabeth, Bethany, Katie, and Nathan, 14 great grandchildren, sister, Sue Thompson, and brother, Robert "Junior" Milliser.
Visitation will be Friday, August 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Moore's Southlawn Chapel, 9350 East 51st St., Tulsa, OK
Funeral service will be Saturday, August 9, 10:00 a.m., at Central Church of the Nazarene, 7291 E. 81st St., Tulsa, Oklahoma
Interment will be at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa, OK.