Cora Faye Stander of Topeka Kansas passed away on July 13, 2026. Born to Fred and Ruth Woods of Wichita, KS on May 16, 1937, she was the second of four daughters.
Faye attended school in Wichita and later in Mulvane, Kansas, where she was crowned the basketball homecoming queen before graduating in 1955.
After graduation Faye worked for National Cooperative Refinery Association, where she was a member of the Oil Secretaries Association. In her free time, Faye was a member of the Wichita Choral Society for several years. Music played an important part of Faye’s life. She and her Nana Woods sang with others while riding buses to and from revivals in South Central Kansas. She participated in church choirs all of her younger adult life.
On a blind date in 1960 Faye met her future lifelong partner Wayne Stander of Wilsey, Kansas. They were married at Mulvane United Methodist Church on May 27, 1961. Faye and Wayne raised three children where they instilled their love and appreciation of music to their family.
Faye graduated from Washburn University in 1981 and started working at Saint Francis Hospital as a Registered Nurse. She worked at several other care facilities. Most of this time was at Menninger Clinic where Faye became a certified psychiatric nurse. Faye is preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Ruth Woods and her three sisters, Lu Ann Ward (Larry), Gayle Gardner (Glen) and Jeanne Liby (Lloyd).
Wayne still resides in Topeka. Their three children, Sammye Billesbach (Bernie) of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Fritz Stander (Sandy) of Olathe, Kansas and Karlene Koesterman (Cory) of Knoxville, Tennessee, have given Faye and Wayne seven grandkids and three great grandkids.
A visitation will take place at First United Methodist Church in Topeka from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in the Celebration Room, Thursday, July 30.
Faye’s service will take place at 11:00am in the chapel of First UMC, Friday, July 31.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her honor be made to either www.breakthrought1d. org or www. fumctopeka. org.
Arrangements are in the care of Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Topeka.