West Bend, WI – Kay Kircher Best passed away peacefully and was reunited with her beloved husband, John (Joe), on June 29, 2025, at the age of 95.
Kay was born in West Bend on August 5, 1929, to the late Edward and Olive Kircher. She was raised in Barton and West Bend, attended local schools, and graduated from West Bend High School in 1946 at the age of 16, a fact that she was very proud of. She also attended St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Kay married John (Joe) Robert Best on November 27, 1958. They resided in West Bend on Big Cedar Lake until 1995 and then in the City of West Bend.
Kay worked for many years at Les Moise in Whitefish Bay and Mequon. She made many friends during her time there and loved her work immensely. She eventually retired in her 80’s.
Kay remained active in a variety of social activities, volunteer opportunities and memberships. Kay was active in the Cedar Lake Yacht Club, Slinger Rotary, Barton Historical Society and St. Mary’s Church.
Kay loved playing tennis, sheepshead, and attending the Milwaukee Symphony. She was enormously proud of her West Bend and Barton Wisconsin upbringing. Kay had a great command of local and current world events. She had a variety of hobbies including walking, quilting, and reading.
Kay was a good friend to many and cherished long-term relationships with her card groups and tennis group, known affectionately as the “Tennis Belles”, as well as grade school and high school classmates.
Kay is survived by her daughter Jane and son John (Julie) as well as grandchildren, Abagail, Elizabeth, Thomas and great-granddaughter Riley.
Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Olive Kircher, husband John, brother Jay Kircher and sister Mary Wilcox.
A special thank you to Kay’s niece, Kelly Eagan (Kircher) and her husband Brad, for thinking of and including Kay in holiday and social gatherings over the years. It meant a lot to Kay.
The family of Kay would like to thank the staff at Cornerstone Assisted Living and Preceptor Hospice for their years of dedicated service taking amazing care of Kay.
A celebration of life will be announced by the family in the future. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Kay’s name to Tower Heritage Center (https://thetowerheritagecenter.org/) or West Bend Columns Scholarship Foundation (https://wbcolumns.org/).
The Schmidt Funeral Home of West Bend is serving the family. Messages for the family may be left in an online guestbook at www.schmidtfuneralhome.com.