Kimberley-Anne Kralka

With the deepest of sorrow, sadness and heartache, we share the news of Kimberley-Anne (Kim) Kralka’s peaceful passing on Saturday, April 19, 2025, in the Red Deer Regional Hospital surrounded by her loving family after a diagnosis of cancer at the end of February 2025. Kim was born on June 5, 1967, in Killarney, Manitoba. Her birth was jokingly referred to as a centennial project by her parents Rene and Edna. Kim was predeceased by her parents and Rick Schween (brother-in-law), and members of the Cote and Tremblay families.

Kim is lovingly remembered by her husband, Kelvin; her children, Megan (Cole) and Ian (their father Michael and the Tremblay family); as well as her stepchildren and grandchildren, Kelli-Ann (Ben, Alana & Leah) and Joshua (Katie & Piper). She is also survived by her sister and best friend, Giselle Schween, and her children, Matt & Chelsea (Jayson); her siblings Marlene, Linda and Robert and their families; her mother and father-in-law, Paul and Mary-Ann Kralka; and Kelvin’s siblings, Tania, Daniel, Mark and Karen and their families. And of course, we can’t forget to mention her very special GSP Luna who she adored and who adored her back even more.

Kim grew up in Dunrea, Manitoba and graduated high school in Killarney, Manitoba. She left soon after for the city lights of Winnipeg. Over several years, she acquired her CMA and worked in the accounting field until she went into business forming a software company called 4CastPlus with Chris and Rob in 2009, in Calgary, Alberta. Kim put her heart and soul into her business, making friends along the way with staff, as well as clients. Kim was still working in her company until her untimely death.

Kim was a shining light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her journey on this earth was one marked by love, compassion, entrepreneurship, laughs, friendly competition and friendship to all she met. Her peaceful passing has left a void in the hearts of her family, friends, and many more whose lives were touched by her. We ask that you remember her for the way her life was lived, and for the profound impact it had on the lives of those who had the pleasure of knowing her. In her honor, please be kind to others and pay it forward in some way. She loved to pay for someone’s coffee in the Tim’s drive through!

Christmas was especially important to Kim with the tree up in November and Christmas songs starting in October and Christmas movies in the evenings and weekends. The lake house Kelvin and Kim recently bought as their residence (October 2024) was decorated inside and out. We will all think of her with love in the Christmas’s to come. She went out of her way every year with the Elf Deliveries, dressing up as an Elf and corralling Ian (Buddy the Elf), Megan (a Xmas Tree), Kelvin (the Grinch) and her sister Giselle (Mrs. Clause). Giselle and Kim spent days and days preparing the deliveries, every year thinking up ways to make them extra special with jams, pickles, nuts & bolts, cookies (from Ian & Megan), drunken cherries (from Kelvin), and homemade decorations of some sort. 30+ different deliveries were carried out with so many laughs, and love to share. Please do a little something special in Kim’s name this year at Christmas and raise your glass in toast.

Kim was a huge fan of Winners, never passing up a good price on a dress, and if it was one she especially liked, she bought it in every color. Same went for shoes. The closets were bursting with the products of many shopping trips! Then of course when Amazon came along, even better! The shopping came right to her door!

Some of her favourite things besides Christmas were cards, board games, yard games and trivia. Her highly competitive nature shone whenever she played games whether at the dining table, in the back yard, in a pub, especially if Megan, Cole and Ian were involved. Trivia was included even at Kelvin and Kim’s wedding on December 2, 2023. Her favorite song was Lovely Day by Bill Whithers and loved the soundtrack to Reservoir Dogs. She loved movies, but it’s hard to define which would be a favourite because she’d fall asleep within 10 minutes of starting. She loved milk duds, ketchup chips, warm pyjamas, cozy clothes and light blue was her favourite color.

There are so many people to thank throughout Kim’s cancer journey. From reaching out with the love language of food, kind and encouraging words, flowers, and more. Included in our thanks are the working hands and professionalism of the doctors, nurses and staff (especially in the Red Deer ICU), the Oncology department and Alberta EMT.

At the family’s request, Kim’s Celebration of Life will be an intimate occasion by invitation only at a later date.

The family ask that donations be made to Colorectal Cancer Alliance – Stop Cancer, https://colorectalcancer.org/ or any dog rescue in your area.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”