Dr. Erin Joy Keith-Chancy

Dr. Erin Joy Keith-Chancy, Dr. KC or Professor KC to her students, died on March 25th, 2026, surrounded by her family, and loved ones. Erin was born in Manhattan, Kansas (the Little Apple) on May 28th, 1974, to Marlene and Cecil Keith. The family moved to Overland Park, KS soon after. She attended Notre Dame de Sion High School, Kansas City, MO, from which she graduated with honors in 1992. She continued to higher education at Loyola University of Chicago, JCCC and the University of Kansas, School of Nursing where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1997. 

Erin approached her career with compassion, curiosity, and an unflinching resolve to ease suffering, build community, and foster collaboration. She fell in love with neonatal intensive care nursing, which held a special place in heart till the end of her 29-year career. Erin’s career in nursing started at Overland Park Regional in their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

As a young nurse with an adventurous heart, Erin moved to Florida in 1999 and worked at both Tampa General Hospital NICU and All Children’s Hospital Pediatric Emergency Room, where she met a young Emergency Room Tech/Paramedic named Christopher Chancy. 

Erin and Chris embarked on whirlwind romance which lead to birth of their son, Beau Christopher in July 2002. Erin picked out the suit for Beau, who was the cutest toddler usher in their Halloween themed wedding on October, 25th 2003. 

In 2005, Erin and her young family returned to the KC area. Erin started at Children’s Mercy Hospital where she also returned to her first nursing love in the NICU. During this time, Erin was awarded the Agnes Caselman Memorial Award for the March of Dimes Neonatal Nurse of the Year in 2017. Additionally, she was passionate about bereavement care and chaired the Infant Loss Committee in the CMH NICU. Erin’s unflinching work helped countless families cope with the unfathomable loss of their babies. 

Erin & Chris welcomed two more children to their family, Evaline “Evie” Joy Chancy in July 2008, and Vivianne “Vi” Chancy in November 2011. Erin loved being a mother. Her passion for her children intensified her lifelong love of learning. She homeschooled her three children with an unfiltered zeal for many years. She also continued her own education at this same time. 

She received her Master Degree in Nursing Education from the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth KS in 2018. And then went on to obtain her Doctorate in Nursing Education from UMKC in 2024. 

Erin was passionate about and dedicated to sharing her love of nursing with the next generation of nurses. She was a Professor at the University of Kansas School of Nursing, her alma mater, from 2017 onward until she passed. She loved getting to know her students and helping them find their way on their journey to make this world a better place. Her students nominated her to receive the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators in 2023 and 2024. 

Erin lived a life of compassion, community, and love. The world feels darker with her passing, but thankfully, it is lit by the fires of the torches of the lives she has touched. 

Erin was preceded in death by her parents Marlene & Cecil Keith. Erin is survived by her husband and partner of 25 years, Christopher Chancy (Lawrence, KS), her children Jacob Huber (Davenport, IA), Beau Chancy (Lawrence, KS), Evaline “Evie” Chancy (Lawrence, KS), and Vivianne Chancy (Lawrence, KS), her brothers, Christopher Keith (Albuquerque, NM), and Tom Chancy (Tampa,FL), her sisters, Jane Allin (Leawood, KS), Sarah Bertolino (Prairie Village, KS), Sarah Buchmann (Brooklyn, New York), Shelly Chancy (Tampa, FL), Kara Hettinger (Mission, KS), Katherine Lallo (Fort Myers, FL), and Tisha Welch (Spring Hill, KS). 

Erin’s celebration of life will be held Saturday, April 11th at 1:00pm CST, at Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St. Lawrence, KS 66044. 

For those unable to make it person, you may watch the funeral remotely here: https://www.youtube.com/live/QDizo9xQMD4

In lieu of flowers, the family request that you send donations to the Kubi for Hope. https://www.Facebook.com/KubiForHope/

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=s-xclick

Erin’s family and loved ones would like to acknowledge the outpouring of love and support from her friends and coworkers at Children’s Mercy NICU, the KU School of Nursing, the Lawrence Trans Alliance, KU Enrollment Management Teams, Plymouth Congregational Church, as well as the staff of the KUMC Oncology units and Olathe Hospice House. Thank you!