Kimberly Beth Fanning Vaughn of Monrovia died peacefully in Huntsville in the early morning hours of November 17, 2024. She was 59 and in hospice care after a medical emergency on October 31st.
She was born at Huntsville Hospital and raised in New Hope, with siblings Amanda and Brad, by Paulette and Bobby Dean Fanning. She built her Christian faith foundation at a young age listening to the preaching of her maternal grandfather, Rev. Denton Adams, at Killingsworth Cove Baptist Church. She also developed advanced seamstress skills from her paternal grandmother, Irene Fanning.
Kim graduated from New Hope High School in 1983 and married Rex Vaughn of Monrovia on February 25, 1989. The couple’s four children and their families have all made the Monrovia community their home.
One of Kim’s supreme gifts was the ability to envision what others could not. She could turn nothing into something – and something beautiful. Food, clothing, centerpieces, parties – all of these and more blossomed under her hand and direction. Kim, for example, designed the kitchen at Providence Baptist Church, of which she was a founding member.
Kim was intentional, outgoing and service-oriented. She possessed an eye for detail. She minimized others’ burdens. Entertaining family and friends during the holidays was a passion and labor of love.
Kim loved to cook – not only for her family, but also for strangers. After tornadoes struck North Alabama on April 27, 2011, Kim was tapped to oversee kitchen operations at the Monrovia Community Center. She worked for 10 days cooking, cleaning and serving thousands of meals to law enforcement, first responders and utility workers from five states. She took her four children to help.
Hospitality and community involvement came naturally to Kim, who was known far and wide for her dedicated service to religious, governmental and civic bodies.
Kim was a member of Gracious Savior Church in Monrovia (a church plant by Providence Baptist Church), and she worked as the Madison County Legislative Executive Director, serving the county’s 14 state legislators in their work of state government.
Of Kim’s many beautiful legacies, one is simply, powerfully and forever this: She served others in their hour of need.
She is survived by her husband, Ronald “Rex” Gray Vaughn II; her children, Carmen Vaughn Bragg (Sean), Hannah Vaughn Creed (Kaze), Ellie Vaughn Milby (Cole), and Carl Walton Vaughn (Whitney); and her grandchildren, Gray Michael Bragg, Graham Denton Bragg, R.G. Creed, and Marabelle Beth Milby.
She is also survived by her mother, Paulette Adams Fanning; her sister, Amanda Fanning Browner (Doug); her brother, Brad Fanning (Lea); and many in-laws, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father, Bobby Dean Fanning; and her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ronald Gray and Ann Vaughn.
The family is grateful for the staff and environment at Hospice Family Care on Serenity Lane.
Visitation will be Friday, Nov. 22 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. in the Providence Baptist Church sanctuary at 1355 Douglass Road NW, Huntsville, Alabama, 35806. The service will be Saturday, Nov. 23 at 11:00 a.m., also at Providence. The burial will take place afterward at Fowlkes Cemetery on Lynch Road in Monrovia.
Rev. Brian Milby and Rev. Doug Browner will conduct the services. Pallbearers will be James Baker, Mac McCutcheon, Steve Raby, Hank Robinson, Steve Smartt, Mike Tidwell, Phil Vandiver and Andy Whitt. Berryhill Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. The service will be livestreamed at ProvidenceBaptist.us.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Next Step Farms (nextstepfarms.org) or the Kids to Love Foundation (kidstolove.org), which were two of Kim’s favorite organizations.
