Kirsten Husak

On January 1, 2025, at Seton Ascension Hospital in Round, Rock, Texas, Kirsten Husak, 55, passed away in the loving presence of family after a brief illness. She was a smart, strong, sweet woman, a force for creativity in her own and in others’ lives, and her memory will be cherished by many. Her memorial service will begin at 11a.m. on Saturday, January 25th, at Lake Shore Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. The funeral will also be streamed virtually through the church Facebook page.

Kirsten was born on January 17, 1969 in Colorado Springs, CO, to Tom and Carole Hanks. After the family moved to Minnesota, Kirsten learnt to play the piano and discovered her lifelong love of all things creative, especially drawing and painting. When she and her parents moved to Waco, Kirsten became involved in her church and in the local community, and attended Vanguard Preparatory School, followed by four years at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. On graduating, Kirsten returned to Waco and joined the workforce.

While Kirsten was injured during a dental procedure in 2002 and permanently lost her sense of taste, she remained in subsequent decades a funny, friendly person with a good sense of humor and a quirky outlook on life. Kirsten met her dear husband Ken in 2014, and together Ken and Kirsten enjoyed their cats and the quiet of a country lifestyle. While caring for Ken’s parents they lived in East Texas, and afterwards in Mills County, near Goldthwaite. Family and friends were always important to Kirsten; she was in constant attendance on her mother in the final year of Carole’s life, and Kirsten will be sorely missed by her brother, her father, her husband and by everyone who knew her.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Carole McDaniel Hanks.

Survivors include her father, Tom Hanks, her brother, Thomas Spitzer-Hanks, her sister-in-law Stephanie, her niece Vivian, her nephew Dory, her uncle Joe, her aunt Carole, her many cousins, and her husband, Ken Folmar.

The guest book is offered at www.gracegardensfuneralhome.com, where you may leave your condolences or a fond memory about Kirsten.