Jan 17, 1974 - Feb 20, 2017

Wendy Anne Koontz, age 43, of Omaha left this life on February 20, 2017. She spent her last days surrounded by her family who love her beyond all measure.

A MEMORIAL SERVICE to celebrate her many gifts given freely over the years to her family and friends will be held on Saturday, February 25th at 1pm at the Bel Air Chapel, 12100 W. Center Rd. Rev. Dr. Sue Coller of First Presbyterian Church of Lincoln will officiate.

Wendy was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Jan. 17, 1974. She attended elementary and secondary schools in Council Bluffs, graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1992. She went on to major in Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, earning a Bachelor's degree in 1995, followed by a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2003.

Wendy's professional employment began with a job at the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs, followed by experience as a caseworker for Child Protective Services and as a Juvenile Parole Tracker for Family Services in Omaha. She went on to serve for several years as an Alternative Education Specialist with the Omaha Public Schools. In 2006 she became a Federal Probation Officer, the job she always said was her dream. No one was surprised that she turned that dream into reality.

In 2013 Wendy married the love of her life, Dr. William James Higgins III. Wendy's and Billy's love was visible to everyone around them. They laughed together, gave strength to each other, and cried together as it became clear that Wendy's time with us would be cut short. In January of 2016 the little person that Wendy described as her highest achievement, William James Higgins IV, was born. She adored him with her whole heart and delighted in each of his accomplishments. She held him, read to him, played with him, laughed when he laughed, and kissed him endlessly. Her eyes sparkled each time she looked at him. Billy's and William's love for Wendy made the past year bearable for her.

Wendy was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Harold and Lila Frazier of McCook, NE, and by a maternal uncle, Lawrence A. Frazier of Lincoln. She is survived by her husband, William James Higgins III of Omaha; her infant son, William James Higgins IV; her parents, Rev. Dr. Peter and Mickie Frazier-Koontz of Rio Rancho, NM; her sister, Karey Olson of Seattle; aunts, Kathleen Maloney of Omaha and Anabeth Hormel Cox of Lincoln; uncles, Stephen Frazier and Ray Kolak of Albuquerque, NM; parents-in-law, Michael and Tracy Higgins and Sherry and Bill O'Malley, all of Crystal Lake, Illinois; sisters-in-law, Julie (Mark) Higgins Schmidt of Edina, MN and Arron(Jamie) Navan of Southampton, NY; nephews and nieces: Connor and James Navan, Evie and Anja Schmidt; cousins: Justice Stephanie Frazier Stacy and Julia Frazier Yank of Lincoln and Andrea Frazier Murphy of West Des Moines, IA; legions of friends and colleagues.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to an educational fund for William James Higgins IV in care of the funeral home.

HEAFEY-HOFFMANN-DWORAK-CUTLER BEL AIR CHAPEL 12100 W. Center Rd. 402-391-3900 www.heafeyheafey.com