Vada Dorene (Squires) Carlton passed away on February 23, 2026 at her home in Kansas City, Missouri. She was born on December 7, 1933, in Harrison County, Missouri, to Gordon and Clara (Smith) Squires.
Vada attended first through eighth grade at Mount Pleasant School, a one-room schoolhouse located on the comer of her family's farm northeast of Blythedale. She attended Blythedale High School, where she played volleyball and softball and participated in band and choir.
In 1955, Vada moved to Kansas City, where she worked at the Hotel Muehlebach and the Italian Gardens Restaurant, before devoting herself to being a stay-at-home mother, actively supporting her children through PTA, Cub Scouts, and their many activities. A gifted artist, she took art classes at the Kansas City Art Institute and nurtured her creative talents throughout her life. She created many beautiful paintings, sharing them with her family.
In 1971, Vada was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was a member of the Relief Society and was a teacher in Primary, the children's organization. She loved studying the gospel of Jesus Christ and found comfort in her faith throughout her life.
As her children grew older, Vada returned to the workforce, serving as Director of Volunteer Services at Research Medical Center. She later managed a 7-Eleven convenience store and a 1-Hour Martinizing Dry Cleaners.
Vada loved visiting antique stores, garage and estate sales, and thrift stores—a passion she passed on to her children. Her home was filled with beautiful antiques, and she had a particular fondness for French Provincial furniture. She also enjoyed collecting fine glassware, including carnival glass, cranberry glass, and turquoise blue pieces, along with Homer Laughlin china and silverplate.
Vada was generous with her collections, gifting each grandchild a set of china and silver and sharing many sets with other family members. She often invited loved ones to choose a special item from her china cabinets as a birthday or Christmas gift or for no occasion at all! Today, many homes are graced with something beautiful that once belonged to Vada—a painting, a piece of glass, or a set of china.
In retirement, Vada and her husband, Harold Carlton, embraced their love of music, traveling throughout the region to attend Bluegrass festivals and making frequent trips to Branson to enjoy its many live shows.
Vada delighted in all of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She welcomed every visit often gracing them with homecooked meals, complete with Kool-Aid, Jello, and ice cream sandwiches. As her mobility declined in the last several years, she found considerable joy in volunteering for Bundles for Babies in memory of her late great grandchildren. From the comfort of her chair in her living room, she folded tiny blankets to be donated to hospitals around the US and the world for babies born too soon. Vada marveled at the talents and generosity of others and was happy to be able to participate in this great act of service. She often commented that bundling was the highlight of her day.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her daughter, Rebecca Blessing; her brother, Maurice Squires; her sister, Betty Jo Jones; great-granddaughter, Elizabeth McCoy; and twin great-grandsons, Simon and Morris Isom.
She is lovingly remembered by her daughters, Rhonda (Bob) McCoy and Maria (Chris) Miller; her son, Anthony Totero; sister Velda (Garold) Smith; seven grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; along with many nieces and nephews.
Family inurnment will take place at Akron Cemetery, Harrison County, Missouri on April 11, 2026.
