April 23, 1964 - January 10, 2023 

Patricia Lynn Vaughn, “Tricia”, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Born on April 23, 1964, she was a lifelong Prairie Village resident. She went to Tomahawk Elementary, followed by her daughter and then her granddaughter, a legacy for which she was immensely proud. She went to Broadmoor Middle School, graduated from Shawnee Mission West in 1982 and attended the University of Kansas.  As a child, Tricia spent family vacations fishing in Minnesota.  On one fishing trip, she discovered “water chickens” swimming in the lake, to the amusement of the grown-ups within earshot. From that point forward, ducks became known as water chickens.  She and her brother Brent also observed a rare pterodactyl in the wilds of northern Minnesota. Skeptics maintained it was a great blue heron, but her story never changed. Tricia’s love of fishing grew to include camping and canoeing. Family and friends will recall numerous good times at Melvern Lake, on the rivers of southern Missouri, and at the family cabin in Kansas. She delighted in being a Girl Scout leader and, because she was always prepared, quickly became the designated campfire-starter. Tricia was fiercely independent and loyal, had a quick wit and wicked sense of humor. She could do anything she set her mind to. If you told her she couldn’t, she’d show you she could. In a game of choosing sides, Tricia was the one you wanted on your team. She enjoyed gardening and perennially spotted the first Naked Ladies popping up from the ground in Spring. She was a champion dart thrower. She collected flamingoes. She loved thunderstorms.

Most importantly, she was devoted to her beloved daughter and, more recently, her granddaughters. To Tricia, they were “my girls,” and her love for them knew no bounds.

Words cannot express how much she will be missed.

She is survived by her daughter, Hannah Duenas and husband Raul, step-grandson Jeffery and granddaughters Makenzie and Oaklynn, all of Overland Park. She also leaves behind her parents Kenneth and Marilyn Vaughn, brother Brent Vaughn and wife Anna Gepson, all of Prairie Village, brother Craig Vaughn and wife Cindy, nephew Ryan Vaughn, niece Stephanie Simkins and husband Doug and their children Declan, Weston and Peyton, all of Longmont, Colorado.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday February 18th, from 1:00-3:00 pm, in the multipurpose room within Asbury United Methodist Church located at 5400 W 75th Street Prairie Village, Kansas 66208.