Wanda Claudette Burkett Stewart Mainer was born on December 2, 1940, and went to be with her Lord and Savior on June 5, 2026. She passed peacefully with her son, Kevin Stewart, by her side.

Claudette is survived by her children, Corlene (Kevin) Lilley, Tom (Laura) Mainer IV, Cindy Morgan (Brett Rohloff), Kevin Mainer, Susie Mainer, Cari (Gene) Womack, and Kevin (Carrie) Stewart.

She is also survived by 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Claude and Nina Burkett; her first husband, Les Stewart; her sisters, Connie Burkett Hall Strang and Cheryll Burkett Beaver; and her second husband, Tom Mainer III.

As her children gathered around her during her final days, they laughed, reminisced, and shed many tears. Together, they shared countless memories of their mother and the life she lived, and they wished to share some of those treasured reflections with her extended family and friends. These are memories they will carry with them forever.

Wanda—known as Wanda to those who knew her in Grand Prairie and as Claudette to those she met after high school—was first and foremost devoted to her family. She was a true caregiver to anyone in need, including extended family, and she continued giving of herself even during illness. Claudette was known for her beauty, kindness, and loving spirit. Yet perhaps the words that described her best were adventurous and strong.

One of the earliest adventures she loved to recall was driving her family to California from Grand Prairie at just fourteen years old. That experience set the stage for a lifetime of seeking new adventures.

Claudette and her first husband and high school sweetheart, Les Stewart, were in their early thirties with four children when they left their hometown of Grand Prairie, Texas, and moved to Waterwood National Resort near Lake Livingston for a new career opportunity. Sadly, Les passed away only a year after the move. Rather than returning to Grand Prairie, where family and support awaited her, Claudette chose to remain in East Texas and raise her children. This decision revealed the remarkable strength she possessed.

That strength has been passed down to her children and grandchildren. In difficult times, they stand strong, stand together, remember who they are and where they come from, and face whatever life may bring.

After grieving the loss of Les, Claudette married Tom Mainer III of Lovelady, Texas. Tom brought three children into the marriage, and blending two families came with challenges. Yet through love and determination, Claudette and Tom united their families and shared more than forty-five wonderful years together.

Claudette’s love of travel and adventure took her to multiple countries and throughout much of the United States. She was always ready to go—for a week, a month, or even longer. An “Okay, let’s go!” kind of person, she delighted in including friends, her children’s friends, and her grandchildren’s friends in her adventures.

One July Fourth camping weekend became an unforgettable family trip to Acapulco, complete with deep-sea fishing. Another July Fourth found the family in Jamaica, where they rented cars, explored local communities, walked beaches, and hiked waterfalls. Her love for lakes and oceans was passed on to many of her children and grandchildren.

As a proud aunt, Claudette traveled to England with her mother, Nina Burkett, to visit her nephew Chris Hall while he was stationed there with the U.S. Navy. Her love of road trips later led her to Alaska with her Uncle Twyman, Aunt Louise White, and cousin Boyce White, traveling together in a group of fifth-wheel campers in search of the Northern Lights. While there, she was able to visit family friend Debbie Womack and her children.

When her niece Ryan Beaver Dobinson married, Claudette, her sister Cheryll Beaver, and their mother Nina traveled all the way to New Zealand to celebrate. Yet despite all her travels, Colorado always held a special place in her heart.

Her love for Colorado began with annual trips she and Les made with college friends John and Linda Dean and their four children. Picture two station wagons, eight children, and two Texas families heading to Estes Park. Those adventures became a cherished tradition that lasted a lifetime.

Eventually, Claudette and Tom moved to Redstone, Colorado, where they owned and operated Chair Mountain Stables. Joining them were sons Tom Mainer IV, Kevin Mainer, and Kevin Stewart, along with daughter Cari Womack, who enjoyed working there part-time. Corlene and her husband, Kevin Lilley, also joined them for a season.

By then, Claudette was forty-five years old. While many people were beginning to think about retirement, she was searching for her next adventure. Life as a cowgirl suited her perfectly. She guided horseback rides through Colorado’s backcountry, rode with hunters through snow and deep aspen forests, and drove guests by Jeep over some of Colorado’s most rugged roads, including Lead King Basin Loop. She was always eager to discover what lay around the next bend.

On one memorable adventure, Claudette and Tom drove their Jeep to Mexico for two weeks. They traveled back roads, dirt roads, and beach roads, staying in small cabanas by the sea, fishing for breakfast, and encountering the Federales more than once. They discovered jungles, hidden fishing spots, and wonderful people. No doubt some of those people still remember those Texans in the Jeep.

Later, after returning to Huntsville, Texas, Claudette continued dreaming of Colorado and frequently returned to visit Kevin Stewart and his family, where the adventures never ceased.

Her daughter Corlene and husband Kevin eventually found adventures of their own in Costa Rica, and, like all loving daughters and sons-in-law, they brought Claudette and Tom along. Together they enjoyed beaches, jungle tours, long drives, shopping, and plenty of time breathing in the sea air.

Claudette also cherished girls’ trips. She and her daughters traveled to Mexico together, spending days sunbathing, shopping, talking, and laughing. The laughter was endless.

On a whim, daughter Cari and husband Gene invited Claudette on a journey through Yellowstone National Park, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. South Dakota had long been on her bucket list. While in Yellowstone, there were two kinds of roads—paved roads and those less traveled. Naturally, Claudette chose the latter. She texted and took pictures with youthful enthusiasm while bouncing around in the back seat. It marked the beginning of many more Jeep adventures shared by the three of them.

Holidays were another adventure altogether. Thanksgiving became the family’s special holiday. Claudette’s home was always open. Extended family, friends, friends of her children, and friends of her grandchildren were welcomed with open arms. Sometimes there were only five people around the table. More often, there were forty.

Everyone came for the food, the laughter, and the love. They ate until they could eat no more. They sang songs, played games, hiked, shot bows and guns, and sometimes slept on blankets spread across wooden floors. But above all, they laughed and loved.

She gave endlessly of herself—her love, her laughter, and her time.

Claudette never tired of taking the roads less traveled.

She leaves behind a legacy of strength, generosity, faith, family, and adventure. Though her loved ones’ hearts are broken, they find comfort in knowing she is at peace and that somewhere beyond the next bend, she is smiling, exploring, and preparing for the greatest adventure of all.

**There will be a private family graveside service at Southland Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Prairie, July 26, 2026.