Melba "LaRee" Short's Obituary
Melba “LaRee” Short, 90, of Wichita, Kansas, formerly of Amarillo, Texas, passed away on Monday, April 20, 2026, in Wichita.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Robertson Saints Roost Chapel, with burial to follow at Citizens Cemetery.
Viewing will be held at the funeral home on Monday, April 27th from 10 AM – 4 PM. Visitation will be held prior to the service on Tuesday starting at 12 PM.
LaRee was born on May 5, 1935, in Clarendon, Texas, to Noel Douglas and Ethel Lee (Elliott) Hewett. She graduated from Clarendon High School, class of 1952. Later that year, on September 28th, she married Cecil Ray Short. Together, they built a life centered on family and shared 64 years together raising their three sons: Gaylon, Kelly, and Terry.
In 1961, LaRee and Cecil moved to Amarillo, where she remained a resident until October 2025. She worked as an office aide in the Amarillo school system at Bowie Junior High. Later, she and her husband were employed with Enterprise Rent-A-Car for over 10 years. The couple also enjoyed working side by side creating custom pins. In her younger years, LaRee loved painting, often sharing that passion with her sister.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil Ray Short; her parents; and her siblings, Bobby Hewett, Barbara Brown, and Janita Wallace.
LaRee is survived by her sons: Gaylon Short of the Philippines, Kelly Short and wife Elizabeth of Wichita, KS, and Terry Short of Amarillo; six grandchildren: Heath, CaSondra, Cameran, Nathan, Teresa, and Johnathan; and seven great-grandchildren: Rian, Austin, Neala, Laresa, Kylan, Kasyn, and Kapresse.
She will be remembered for her dedication to her family, her strong work ethic, and the simple joys she found in creativity and time spent with loved ones.
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