Corey Michael Wontorski

He was born to Tammy (Wilson Arnott) and Scott Wontorski on December 4, 1997. He was taken from us far too soon on September 11, 2022. Yes, 9-1-1. His passing was not intentional, but had it been, that’s the date he would have chosen (just probably not the year).

Corey made more friends and had more adventures in his brief 24 years than most of us will see in a lifetime. He was the kind of kid that could light up a room with his presence, and he never let an “I love you” go unsaid. He was up for anything, which often got him in trouble, but sure made some great stories later.

Corey graduated from Maize South HS in 2016 and attended Butler Community College. Until he was in late high school, he was a smaller kid, so on many of the sports teams he was on, he wasn’t often in a starting position, but he was the one on the bench cheering on his teammates like no other. He started playing baseball in first grade and played throughout high school, making lifelong friends in the process. He also played basketball, football, and was on the cross-country and swimming teams. He took that team spirit with him throughout life, always ready to offer encouragement and love to his friends and family.

His family had only one main rule (which could have been the reason he saw laws more as suggestions) – treat others like you want to be treated. While he didn’t always follow society’s laws, he always followed that rule.

There are so many words to describe Corey and how he touched the lives of so many while he was here, distilling who he was into a few paragraphs seems criminal. He may have only been here 24 years, but the love and joy he brought to us will live on through each of us always. He liked to be seen as edgy, and he always pushed the envelope, up to the very end. In fact, and we only share this because he would have seen it as legendary, his last word was, “FUCKKKKK”. That was our boy.

To Corey, family was defined by love, not blood. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, John Henry Wilson, William “Papa Bill” Wontorski, and Walter “Wally” Anderson; aunt & uncle Sheila & Robert Trujillo; and cousins Kim Evel and Torii Sloane.

Survivors include his mom & bonus dad, Tammy & Tim Arnott; father, Scott Wontorski; siblings Hannah & Steven Taylor, Morgan Wontorski, Shelby Swanson, and Jordan Wontorski; girlfriend Makenzie Barker; fairy godmother/mom #2 Stacy Wontorski, grandmas Patricia “Patti” Wilson, Karen Wontorski, and Diane “Winky” Anderson; aunts and uncles Tammy & Jack Zimmerman, Rory Arnott, Jim & Mary Ann Arnott, Torry Anderson, Tanya & Stephen Sloane, Michael & Somwang Wilson, Joe & Ginger Wilson, and Dixie & Dave Evel. He is also survived by dozens of cousins, brothers from other mothers, friends, “adopted” moms & dads, and numerous pets, including his beloved cat, Zane.

A visitation for Corey will be held Thursday, September 15, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A Celebration of Life will occur Friday, September 16, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. at Resthaven Mortuary, 11800 West Highway 54, Wichita, Kansas.

The family requests no flowers or plants be sent. A memorial fund has not and will not be established. If you would like to do something in remembrance of Corey, two of the organizations closest to his heart were the Kansas Humane Society and the Sedgwick County Zoo.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ResthavenMortuary-Cemetery.com for family and friends.

Celebration of Life Service for

Corey Wontorski

We’re going to first start with a poem, it’s dedicated to Corey:

“The Unfinished “

Do not judge a biography by its length,

nor by the number of pages, or occasional errors.

Judge it by the richness of its entire content.

Sometimes those unfinished are among the most poignant…

Do not judge a song by its duration,

nor by the number of its flawless notes.

Judge it by the overall way it touches and lifts your soul.

Sometimes those unfinished are among the most beautiful…

And when something has enriched your life,

And when the melody lingers on in your heart,

Is it unfinished?

Or is it endless?

Welcome everyone, and thank you for being here today my name is Sharen Dare and I am a life celebrant here with Resthaven and Dignity Memorial funeral homes. It’s my absolute privilege and honor to be with you today as we pay tribute to the life of Corey Michael Wontorski. On behalf of the family thank you for being here, your presence is a gift to them and everyone around you, and it means

more to them than you can imagine.

When we lose someone like Corey, especially at such a young age, it’s hard to come to terms with it, we keep looking for answers, for reasons, we go to a place of why…

Why was someone so young, so loving, so willing to give of himself taken from us.

Many of you will spend what seems longer than a lifetime to try to come to terms with Corey’s death.

Time will begin to heal some of the hurt, but time will never erase the scar that has been formed because of this great and deep loss.

As you may already know, Corey had been struggling with the disease of addiction, and though it did finally take him, IT did NOT take from him, or any of you, the gifts his life gave while he was here.

And it’s those gifts; his love, the cherished memories, and with strength in a creator, if you’re a believer, that will carry you through the tears and pain.

(Moment of Silence and Prayer)

God, we thank you that we were able to come together today, to share memories, and to receive the gift of love and hope that surrounds us. We know your presence, as well as the presence of those gone before us, is here with us, today, and every day. And yes, things are different now, but we will go forward, not without Corey, but with him, with his presence in our hearts and in our minds... and we will carry that presence with us, by our sides, each and every day. AND in the coming days when we share new experiences, traditions, and rituals, we will bring him with us, because though he is no longer with us

physically, our love for him is just as real as it ever was. And, as this day progresses let us be a shining light, to give love and hope to those around us. Let us help one another and make time to share our memories, our griefs, and our new hopes. May we have a deeper love for one another, to hold each other close, show compassion, and remember, to always remember, no matter what, LOVE CONQUERS ALL. ~ Amen

Before we proceed any further I want to read for you a quote to read from an unknown author, to put everyone in a place of understanding and compassion for those suffering with the disease of addiction, as well as their loved ones. “People will never truly understand something until it happens to them. Dealing with your own, or a loved ones addiction is ALL-consuming! We can’t expect everyone to understand. We just ask for less judgment, shaming and stigma. And, for those who are not affected with addiction in their lives… Be thankful that you don’t have to understand.”

As we think about the whole picture of addiction, there are two hindrances to getting or asking for help, they are called stigma and shame.

Those ugly things, are the two culprits to blame for too many early deaths and unrealized potentials. As I look around this room I see all the hearts that are broken because this wonderful man died so young. Please hear me, the way you can honor Corey, if you are struggling with the disease of addiction, is to make an all out commitment to get help. If you don't get the help on the first try, to honor Corey, and his

family, try again, and again, until you find the right help. Don't break the hearts of those who love you, your life is precious to so many people.

Just as we can see here at this service for Corey, there are so many people here to show that he is loved, very deeply loved...

❤ And on that note of how much Corey was loved, let’s lighten things up and share some of the stories and memories from his life!

Corey was born right here in Wichita Kansas, he has 4 sisters! Lucky guy! Three older sisters; Hannah, Morgan and Shelby, and baby sister Jordan. So with that I am sure he got spoiled, and the girls got

annoyed by their only brother! But of course they secretly loved it! From the very beginning Corey was definitely someone that didn’t want to be alone. Even as an infant he he did not want to be alone.

Tammy said she would get him to sleep in his crib by putting her arm through his crib keeping her hand on him so he could feel that she was there. Then, once he was asleep she would gently take her hand

off his back and army crawl out of the bedroom. But, it would not be long before Corey became wise to mom’s tactics!— It was clear even as a baby Corey was very intelligent, and very persuasive, because he started holding onto his mom‘s hair as he was going to sleep in his crib, so she couldn’t escape out of the

room!

But, what was also clear at a young child, was Corey’s compassionate heart, he always wanting to help people. There was an instance where he saw his mom trying to fix a sprinkler that was broken outside in the yard.

So Corey decided he would try to fix it himself. Mind you he was about 1 1/2 years old and the pliers he was trying to fix the sprinkler with we’re about as tall as he was, nonetheless he was persistent. And, he never let those kinds of obstacles get in his way!

At home, there weren’t a lot of rules that the children had to follow. But there was one very important one, and that is treat everyone else the way you want to be treated. And it was the house rule and that soft spot in his heart that had him wanting to help people. He was the kind of person that was kind to

everyone and so watching out for had for his schoolmates was innate. If he saw any of the kids being unkind or bullying kids in school he would stick up for them and try to talk to the people that were doing the bullying so they would see they were good people too!

That was just how Corey was though, he always stuck up for people that were hurting and had empathy those less fortunate.

Now when the kids were little mom and dad found creative ways to make extra money. For those of you old enough to remember the beanie baby craze they were worth a lot of money back then. So, mom and dad would go hunting for the valuable ones so they could sell them. There were of course the original beanie babies and then there beanie buddies which were the larger ones. And there was one beanie buddy that Corey just absolutely loved, his name was "Tracker".

He was a basset hound, hence the name tracker and Corey just fell in love with him and would not let go of him. And even though that beanie buddy was probably worth over $100 and money was a little tight back then, mom saw how much he loved it and let him keep it. Corey loved that beanie buddy, in fact even though sometimes he would hide it so his friends wouldn’t see it, he kept it always!

He also had a stuffed shark that was his favorite. It was really long, and it had a big mouth. I don’t think this one had a name, it was when Corey was a older, about high school age. As it turned out it was a hiding place for Corey, and his sister obviously knew about it because she helped him create a big cavity

inside of it with a tee shirt (an Absolut vodka tee shirt) so he could hide more things! Hmmmm a vodka t-shirt… I wonder what he hid in there… Now don't any of you act innocent we all know we all had our hiding places for things! It will be his hiding place forever!

But back to his younger years; Corey always wanted to do his best so people would be proud of him. As a young child his love for baseball was evident, so as soon as he was able to play on a team he did. Despite the fact that he was one of the youngest players. And being the encouraging person he was, it definitely made him the biggest cheerleader of the team always rooting his teammates on.

And whenever he got out on the field he absolutely tried his hardest. And he always tried extra hard whenever he knew his dad was in the stands. On his very last game, dad was there, he wanted to hit that

ball so badly, but the opposing team seemed to be trying to walk him!

He was so cute, he was probably the smallest player, so he was actually jumping up with the bat to try to hit the ball. But that was just Corey always trying to do his best especially when he knew the people that cared about him were rooting for him!

Speaking of his dad one of his favorite things to do with him as a kid was to collect Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. And then he and his sister Morgan would play card store. Which was where they pretended to sell the Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. So they decided to actually play card store for real one day. They took a card table outside laid out the cards on the table and then wrapped the table with saran wrap so the cards would not fly way. And whoever came by on the street or in their car were the possible buyers. They would flag them down, or holler at them to buy a card, or two. They would yell hey don’t you want to buy some cards, or for your kids, your kids would love some Pokémon cards!

We know that was definitely Coreys salesmanship and entrepreneurial spirit coming through at an early age! He would definitely continue in that spirit.

And Corey was such a good salesman he could pretty much sell anything! Like one time he had decided to sell some AirPods. But why sell them both for one price when you can sell each one separately and make more money! — And he did just that! 😆 Hahaha

That just goes along with Corey’s personality though he was so spirited and never really responded to normal consequences. In fact all of the kids in the family really weren’t afraid of typical punishments. Corey especially, in fact finally, his normal punishment would be no electricity! But his mom said he was basically MacGyver and he would find a way to get electricity anyway! So they decided to start taking them way some of his allowance. Whenever he would do something didn’t like she would yell at him

that’s a dollar! This kind of punishment worked a little bit better than anything else it seemed.

As time went by, one of the main things that he was not allowed to do, in fact none of the family members wanted him to do this. That was to emit any gaseous fumes in the house. He was only allowed to emit the gases outside it was a thing that no one wanted to hear or smell.

And his voices, his non human voices were rather annoying everybody said. Like his pterodactyl, Rah! And other animal voices. And just to irritate his sister Morgan, he would make this rabbit face at her crinkling his nose and for some reason it drove her crazy!

He knew that so when she would tell on him he would say no he didn’t do that and she was lying. And then as soon as anyone looked away he would make the face at her! Only people with siblings will

understand how annoying these things can be! Lol

But he really did love animals he loved going to the zoo, he rescued dogs, he had hamsters, fish even a goldfish that was taught to catch treats in its mouth. Unfortunately it went blind and couldn’t catch them after a while, because Corey accidentally blinded it by turning the heater up to high. But it was an accident he loved his goldfish!

Another of the many things Corey really loved was his shoe collection he had all kinds of collector sneakers and gym shoes that came out he would wait in line to get those shoes. And if he didn’t have the real ones he would do something to make him look real! Like he would dye his socks a certain color of pink and put a Nike logo on them! Or he would take his slides cover them with duct tape and put a Gucci logo on them! The girls all agreed that his shoe collection was better than all of theirs put together!

He also had his share of cars, everyone said the only thing he had more then cars were shoes. And they would come and go just as easily as a pair of last season’s worn out shoes! But his cars definitely wore out easier than his shoes! Lol

I should also mention though that Corey really loved sports he loved his baseball and he also ran cross country and played football. If you didn’t already know his favorite team is the Green Bay Packers. Still, we think his favorite color is blue, I said think, because it was his marker color of choice, especially Crayola markers. He used to suck on them like a lollipop when he was a kid! His mom would catch him at it and say “Corey have you been tasting the blue marker again!?” And with his mouth completely blue, he would say “no I didn’t!”

But Corey was usually only ornery at home, and all of his friends mothers loved him, he was usually thought of as their “bonus son”! Obviously he was quite charming out of the house! lol So charming that he would go and visit his aunt and uncle but not bring any of his good clothes. He would pack some old things in a plastic grocery store bag from Walmart and pretend he didn’t have any thing decent to wear. So his aunt and uncle would always take him out and buy him new clothes to come home with! Like I said he was a really good salesman! Until he got found out and then he would be sent home in sweats!

He was known as the undercover rule breaker! Lol! There was an incident in high school they say will go down in the history books as the most epic food fight ever. Corey never really took credit for it but it all started with a handful of Craisins! I’m sure there are people here today that can give the details to anyone that might want them! And so in the spirit of Corey’s rule breaking, there are blue Crayola markers for people to use and signed Coreys casket. As you may have noticed there was no guest book. The family thought it would be more appropriate to leave your words, or signature with Corey on his casket instead.

But make sure you use the blue Crayola markers, and please don’t eat or taste any of them!

With that we are going to pause and before his good friends and sisters come up to talk about Corey and we’re going to play one of his favorite Nicki Minaj songs, "Super Bass".

Now Corey's sisters and friends will come up and talk. I just would like to say that you may or may not hear some animal noises, unknown noises, or possibly unusual names that the siblings called each other!

Those of you with siblings will totally understand, for those of you that didn’t grow up with siblings this is kind of what it was like…

And with that we are going to hear from his good friends, Spencer Bruiner, Whitney Vandergriend and Big Corey and then his sisters.

I’m Corey’s oldest sister, Hannah. We share a mom, but no one in our family really cares about whole or half or step. We’re all family. Corey especially was like that. I don’t even know how many families called him their son and brother. He liked to say that it was because he had a way with moms. Corey was an adventure from start to finish. He was the boy that banished all the dull moments. You never knew quite what kind of excitement was going to happen, but it was guaranteed when he was around. From chasing (and catching) wild animals, to midnight snack runs, to sitting on the roof to watch the stars and talk about life, he was always up to doing something with you. Blue was his favorite flavor. Yes, flavor. He didn’t care if it was juice, popsicles, suckers, or Crayola markers, blue was best. You could win his heart with a bowl of cheap pasta, but you’d be guaranteed it if you added shrimp and a glass of milk. He had more Pokémon, Yu Gi OH, Football, and Baseball cards than anyone I've ever met, and he loved to show them off. As long as he got to pick his team first, and I pinky swore not to bend any of them, he was always up to play Pokémon with his big sister, even if it meant explaining the rules 50 times every three minutes. He always won. Not because I didn’t try, but because I was concerned with the cutest Pokémon being in my deck. Every single time, he’d try to help me build a stronger team, but I’m sorry, Charizard wasn’t as cute as Charmander. That isn’t to say he wasn’t competitive. Family game nights could turn violent. Our dining room table has a permanent gouge in the middle from a particularly animate game of spoons. He loved playing games like Cards Against Humanity too, because he thought it was hilarious to get my mom to read whatever the most inappropriate card in his hand was. As he grew up, he continued to collect things. Boy's shoe collection was the most impressive I've ever witnessed. When I’d compliment his shoes, he’d tell me exactly how and when he’d gotten them, and how much he’d paid for them. I would venture to say that even if you combined mine and the rest of his sister’s shoe collection, his would still beat ours. Corey was incredibly tenderhearted, but heaven forbid you let on that you knew that fact. He always made sure that you knew he loved you, even if in the same breath he insulted you. He’d usually say “Love you, stinky” to me, like he wasn’t the one who used to have to pass sniff checks after his showers. As his biggest sister, I felt the need to protect him from the world... and himself. I can't protect you anymore, Boy Wonder. Please protect me from the other side. Like I said the last time I saw you, Goodbye Bubba. I love you, behave yourself. I wish I could hear that ‘Love you, stinky’ one last time.

And now I am going to read some sentiments from Jordan, Corey’s youngest sister. “I realized that Corey was a demon at a young age. One particular day, he had taken an interest in my squirming baby alive. He had always been kind of shady, so him suggesting we play dolls was extremely suspicious, but my excitement overwhelmed my wariness. I gave him the boy doll and went to go get my own girl when he got up on the bed, ripped my poor babies clothes off, and then let the doll pee on my head. Our fun snow days would turn into karate chop ambush in clothes that were too puffy to fight back in. Wearing my hair in a bun was a sure fire way to get chased with scissors, Yep, every time! Even though I was (quote) A loose bag of the most annoying person to ever walk the earth, he still slid down the stairs with me in plastic bins and sleeping bags. He still demanded I play COD zombies with him at 3am. He still called my stuffed animals by their proper names. He still came to ask me if I was hungry before he finished his two boxes of midnight mac & cheese. Corey was a demon, but he was my favorite demon.” ~ From Jordan

Today we’ve taken taken an opportunity to talk about addiction. So now that we have more knowledge about the issues and how the stigma and shame keep people from getting help, we can do something to help change things. — First and most importantly, be vulnerable! that will be a key to changing things! If you’re vulnerable and let people in on your own feelings and struggles they will feel they can open up also.

Please, in Corey’s honor share your stories, share your family stories and help bring the stigma out of the shadow of shame. His life can be a legacy for change and help for others. Let his life, and his death, be a reminder to be aware, and to share, I guarantee you there are people here today that have family members, loved ones, or perhaps they themselves, are struggling in similar situations.

Let us help them, let them know they aren’t alone and you will be there to listen without judgment. Let them know that you or someone you know has or has had, some of the same feelings and struggles.

Help them to know they’re not alone, there is a way out, they can get help and feel better without the use of substances. And mental health care, as well as addiction treatment have so many different ways of helping people, and there are many options for just about every situation.

But with all that being said, I want to remind you that although we talked a lot about his struggles Corey’s life was so much more than the end of it.

Yes, his years were too short, but he gave so much in the time he had. And… he gave selflessly from his heart and from his soul out of pure love to so many people. None of us knows the lives he touched in his

time, and the gifts he gave.—If we only focus on his tragic ending it diminishes the gifts his soul gave while he was among us.

So, please remember to honor Corey by sharing your struggles and your pains. And, please, let us look to one another for help, compassion, love, and support.

Please share Corey’s story because it’s be part of his legacy. Tell people, and remind them that their story can end a different way if they will be brave and make that one first step to get help.

And when we’re going through life’s difficulties let us remember to choose grace over anger and love over fear.

Lastly in Corey’s honor, memory, and legacy there are some Tracker dog ornaments for you to take as you leave. And on one side there is a helpline phone number. Keep it, use it, share it. Please take one, even if you don’t think you’ll need it, or you don’t think you know anyone that needs it. Because you never know who’s path you might cross that could use it and possibly save their life. I have no doubt based on Corey’s selfless willingness to help everyone, that this would be important to him and give him great joy!