At 3:39 PM Monday, Dec 18th, 2023 Amy succumbed to fatal injuries sustained in a single-car accident ~ 5 miles NW of Red Rock, OK.

I want to celebrate her life with you.

These are three best words I have to describe Amy: Slender, Loyal, and (so) Creative!! To know Amy was to know the joy in being physically fit and beautiful; joy in being loyal to your family, employer, and church; and joy in creating beauty. She made so many people happy with her generosity, always remembered people's names and their special days - birthdays and anniversaries.

Born on Aug 22nd, 1961 in Charleston, WV to Roger and Lesley Michael, Amy spent the bulk of her growing up years at 7214 Johnston, Rd. Indianapolis, IN. She was a 1979 graduate of Lawrence Central High School; then attended Purdue University, graduating in 1983 from the Krannert School of Management (now Mitchell E. Daniels School of Business) with a BS in Marketing. Amy followed her father into the world via IBM with her first posting in West Lafayette, IN as an Account Administrator. She married Samuel Matthew Vance on Oct 10th, 1987. The Vance's moved from West Lafayette, IN starting their new married life in St. Louis, MO on Dec 21st, 1987.

In 1995, Amy and Matt elected to adopt their children from Minsk, Belarus. Andrew Michael Vance (2 years, 10 months) was adopted on Jul 16th, 1997 and Christina Natalia Vance (18 months) on Jan 27th, 1999.

Matt's job took Amy from Hazelwood, MO; to Herndon, VA; Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, UK; Glen Carbon, IL; and finally to Stillwater, OK. Amy was so adept at always finding the good in the local flora and fauna wherever we lived - she sought out the lesser-traveled, unique sites and "Go-See-Its" for her family to experience and enjoy.

After her children arrived, Amy was a loyal, stay-at-home Mom for the remainder of her career, staunchly supported her husband, and integrally involved in her children's activities, education, and her churches in all locations in which we lived. In the UK, Amy fully immersed herself in the British culture, she joined a woman's Badminton club, was awarded a certification as a youth swim coach, and obtained her UK Driver's License on the first attempt (something very few Brits achieved, and even significantly fewer ex-Patriots)....after the children were grown she also learned a new language and practiced as a Medical Transcriptionist for four years.

Amy's creative specialty was her ability to take scraps from nature (stones, leaves, flowers, buds, etc.), and scraps from normal, every-day sources (wrapping paper, cardboard, art paper, wire, acrylic paints, really anything she saw that was discarded) and creatively embellish spectacular heirloom-quality items: greeting cards was a particular specialty, along with cross-stitching, dioramas, gift baskets, jewelry, and customized clothing.

Amy loved nature and animals starting as a little girl with her beloved Schnauzer, "Buffy". She always doted on horses, and donkeys and provided a loving home for "Mike" (a stray Old English Sheepdog we adopted before our marriage), Jacob and Sarah (Matt's cats at the time he and Amy met), and Miniature Schnauzers, "Roody", and arriving on Oct 2nd, 2023 into our lives "Riese" and "Georgie". Amy always traveled with a large blue bucket, trash bags, and a "picker" in her car so she could safely retrieve trash from the roadside - a frequent need here where we live. She would also stop to help any turtle in the roadway continue their journey; always in the direction they were pointed!

Amy is survived by her husband, Matt Vance, her children Andrew Vance and Christina Minchenko, Daughter-in-Law Katelyn Vance, Grandchildren Kora and Eli Vance, Sister Laura Michael, Aunt Wendy Redmond, and Cousins Sue Boughton and Richie Herbruck.
If you would like to make a formal contribution in honor of Amy, please make a donation to the National, or your local, Humane Society - thank you!

A Memorial Service celebrating her life is planned for 11 AM, Friday January 5th, 2024 at the Lost Creek United Methodist Church, 8002 S. Washington St., Stillwater, OK 74074.

Sincerely,

Her husband, Matt