Carla D Shank

Carla Deane Shank, age 88, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away on February 21, 2026. She was born on August 29, 1937, in Kilgore, Texas, to Virgil and Mildred Shank.

Carla lived a life devoted to education, service, and the people around her. After graduating from Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she attended the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. She began her career as a school teacher and later became a media specialist, dedicating her life to helping students learn and grow. Carla went on to serve with the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS), where she worked for an extraordinary 45 years before retiring.

Carla was known for her kind and generous spirit and her warm, welcoming personality. She truly never met a stranger. A strong free spirit at heart, Carla loved music, the arts, traveling, and spending time with the people she cared about most. Family, faith, and education were central to her life, and she was always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. Many will remember her as a true “hippy at heart,” someone who embraced life with openness, creativity, and compassion.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Virgil and Mildred Shank, and her siblings, Sam Shank, Linda Hailey, and Jane Galaska.

Carla is survived by her loving nieces Pamela Weber and Kaylee Prado; nephews Scott Weber and Kaelan Galaska; and many grand-nieces, grand-nephews, and great-grand-nieces and nephews who will cherish her memory.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date, with details to be announced.

Carla’s warmth, generosity, and free spirit touched countless lives. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her.