Sonya Lea Chaney, age 61, of Edwards, Missouri, passed away peacefully at her beloved lake home on Monday, October 6, 2025.
She was born on January 4, 1964, in Kansas City, Missouri. The only child of proud parents Ivan and Opal Spencer, Sonya grew up in the Kansas City area and graduated from Ruskin High School, Class of 1982. On August 24, 1984, she married the love of her life, Bradley Chaney, in Miami, Oklahoma, after a two-month courtship.
Sonya worked for many years at Hallmark Cards and maintained a successful new construction cleanup business. Known as the “ultimate homemaker,” she could easily rival Martha Stewart with her talents. Sonya’s role as matriarch included a large village that extended well beyond her immediate family. Everyone felt welcome at the Chaney house, where there was always an extra plate, an extra blanket, and lots of love to go around.
She demonstrated her creativity through cooking, entertaining, landscaping, and a variety of artistic endeavors. Sonya’s spirit of adventure often found her on motorcycle trips to Sturgis, mushroom hunting at the Lake of the Ozarks, or diving for lobster in the Caribbean. A devoted animal lover, she spared no expense in caring for her beloved pets and saving any creature that needed extra love.
Sonya is survived by her husband of 41 years, Bradley; their three children: Bryn Chaney of Kansas City, Banen Chaney (Andy Montchyk) of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Spencer Chaney (Madison) of Kansas City; and three grandchildren: Charlie Veach, Maizie Montchyk, and Ezra Chaney.
Her infectious laugh and giving nature will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew and loved her.
Funeral Services will be held at 12:00 P.M. Friday, October 10, 2025, at the Reser Funeral Home in Warsaw. Visitation will be held from 10:00 until 12:00 Friday. Interment will follow the funeral at the Cable Ridge Cemetery in Edwards.
