Keanan Alyse Bender Vanek

With hearts forever changed, we announce the passing of our beloved daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, niece, cousin, wife, and friend, Keanan Alyse Bender Vanek, lovingly known by those closest to her as “Kean Dog”. Kean passed away on July 25, 2026, in Tampa, Florida, at just 27 years old, surrounded by the boundless love of her family.

Born on October 12, 1998 in Evansville, Indiana, Kean brought joy into the world from her very first day as the youngest of three girls. She was the daughter every parent is grateful for, and the sister who was always part of the laughter, the cherished memories and inside jokes, and the quiet understanding that only close sisters who have grown through life side by side can share. She was the center of our world and the thread that runs through every chapter of our family’s story. Every heartbeat she had was treasured by her family who loved her completely and eternally.

She possessed a rare gift for making everyone around her feel welcomed, valued, and loved. Her radiant smile could brighten any room, her infectious laugh was impossible to forget, and her kind heart left a lasting impression on every life she touched.

To know Kean was to know genuine kindness. She led with compassion, forgave easily, accepted others without judgment, and gave of herself without expecting anything in return. She had an incredible ability to make people feel seen and important, and her warmth drew people to her wherever she went.

Kean attended St. John the Baptist School in Newburgh, Indiana and graduated from Maine South High School in Park Ridge, IL in 2016. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Robert Morris University in Chicago, IL before beginning a career she truly loved as a Graphic Designer, first with the Florida Center for Nursing at the University of South Florida in Tampa Florida, then in the College of Engineering Marketing department also at USF. She found great fulfillment in combining creativity with purpose and was grateful to work alongside coworkers who became treasured friends. She married George Vanek Jr. on June 3, 2023 in a beautiful ceremony where she had a hand in every part of the festivities, utilizing her creative and artistic talents, including doing her own floral arrangements and reception decorations.

Family was the center of Kean’s world. She cherished every opportunity to spend time with those she loved, whether traveling around the world, browsing unique bookstores, exploring farmers’ markets, discovering new coffee shops, trying new restaurants, or simply being present with others. Some of her happiest moments were meeting her beautiful niece Bennie, reading on her Kindle, creating beautiful works of art, traveling to interesting places, capturing amazing photographs, hunting for sharks’ teeth, taking long walks with her beloved dog Barkley, or enjoying what she often declared was the perfect, crispy Diet Coke. Above all else, Kean loved life and everyone in it very deeply.

She was the cherished daughter and is lovingly remembered by her parents Susan and Dr. Phil Bender of Venice, Florida, formerly of Newburgh, who considered the privilege of being her parents one of the greatest blessings of their lives; her adoring sisters and lifelong best friends, Korey Gilliland (Chase) of Ladoga, Indiana and Kalin Bender (Karli) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Their relationship was filled with laughter, unwavering support amid disagreements, countless adventures, and the deepest friendship that only sisters can comprehend. She was a proud aunt to her precious niece Bennie Marie who brought endless joy to her life. She is further survived by her husband, George Vanek Jr., her grandmother Jacqueline Robinson, her godparents Sheila Dale and Bill Bender, her aunts and uncles, Elizabeth Stewart (Josh), Corky Redmond, Bill Robinson, Nan O’Hara (Bill), Nadine McCracken, Janie Frye (Gary) and Betsy Mackey; her beloved pets Barkley and Bertie, numerous cousins, extended family members, dear friends and colleagues who will forever treasure her memory.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents Dr. William H. Robinson, Benjamin and Helen Bender, John and Millie Jones; her great-grandmother Doris Thurman; and her cousin Skylar Robinson.

Although Kean’s time with us was heartbreakingly short, the beauty of her life cannot be measured in years. It is measured by the love and joy she shared, the art she created, the friendships she nurtured, the family she cherished, and in the countless lives she touched by simply being herself.

Kean’s final act of generosity was in her decision to be an organ donor. This was not the definition of her life but the final expression of the compassion, selflessness, and love she had shown to others every day she was with us. If there is one thing that gives us even the smallest measure of peace, it is knowing that this act of love reflects the kind of person Kean was. Even in saying goodbye, she found a way to give to others.

There are no words that can fully express the depth of our loss. Our hearts are completely broken but they are also filled with immeasurable gratitude, overwhelming love, and immense pride for the twenty seven beautiful years we were blessed to have Kean in our lives. She will live on in every story we tell, in every laugh we share, and in every act of kindness inspired by her love. She is loved beyond measure, missed beyond words, and will forever be woven into the fabric of our lives, carried in our hearts through every moment, every memory, and every tomorrow without her.

If you knew Kean, the greatest way to honor her memory is simple: be a little kinder, forgive a little quicker, love your family a little harder, and never miss an opportunity to tell people in your life that you love them. We love you Kean Dog.

Interment will be at St. John the Baptist Mausoleum in Newburgh, Indiana, at a later date.