Lakwana D Hope

Lakwana “Tana” Dunn Hope, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness at the age of 84, leaving behind a legacy of love, intellect, humor, adventure, and devotion to family. 

Born June 17, 1941, in the south-central Tennessee town of Etowah, Lakwana, was known throughout her life simply as ‘Tana’. Tana spent her earliest years on her maternal grandparents’ farm, where Joe Madison Clayton (“Grandpappy”) and Onye Rymer Clayton (“Mom”) played a primary role in her upbringing. Tana moved away from the family farm with her parents, Hazel and Dwight McReynolds, at age 12 as their family continued to grow to include her sisters, Beth and Laura “Lollie.” The siblings grew up steeped in traditional Southern manners, social graces, decorum, and thoughtfully refined presentation. 

Upon high school graduation Tana attended the University of Tennessee (U.T.), where she met the love of her life, William Boyd Hope, Jr. (Bill’), beginning a remarkable partnership that would span 65 years. They raised four children born in quick succession: Nikki Lynn, Tana Louise, William Hope III (Bill’), and Kathryn Leigh. Tana and Bill lived in multiple states until eventually settling in Overland Park, Kansas in 1971. 

Tana was genuinely devoted to motherhood. She imbued her daughters with strength, confidence, and independence. Her son was taught the importance of nurturing and emotional sensitivity to complement traditional masculine attributes. 

As Tana’s children flourished and grew, Tana herself returned to school, attending Rockhurst College in Kansas City, MO, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in accounting. She then quickly added ‘Certified Public Accountant’ to her professional accomplishments. 

Tana then launched an impressive ‘next chapter’ in her life. After early work in public accounting, she joined a Fortune 500 privately owned engineering company, Black and Veatch, where she rose to Director of Employee Benefits, overseeing retirement, investment, and benefit programs for 4,300 employees. She implemented the company’s first 401(k) plan, introduced innovative investment options, and guided employee savings and profit-sharing plans that grew from $49 million to $215 million under her stewardship. Tana was widely respected for her disciplined investment expertise, practical leadership, and deep understanding of the markets. In later years, after her children were raised, Tana stepped away from this significant executive career to move with her beloved husband Bill to Atlanta, GA, in furtherance of his career. But she never lost her love of finance and investment research, and her expertise remained in demand. Even after Tana retired, she agreed to continue privately managing investments for Black and Veatch company owners; and became a leading member of a women’s investment club, helping transform how members researched and approached investing. 

Bill and Tana’s marriage was a true love story defined by mutual respect, support, and devotion. Bill and Tana’s shared passions included travel throughout the United States, including Hawaii, and abroad to China, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, Mexico, Canada (to include her beloved Toronto), and Paris, France. 

Tana and Bill also shared a love of collecting wine and assembled a wine cellar shared with family that survives them both. During retirement, they enjoyed genealogy, were avid fans of the Tennessee Lady Vols women’s basketball program, and spent treasured weeks at the John C. Campbell Folk School, where Bill honed his woodcarving skills while Tana explored crocheting, fly fishing, and cooking. 

Tana and Bill spent twenty-five cherished years together in Atlanta, GA, before moving back to Overland Park in 2015 to be near children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren where their lives continued and their love for one another endured. Tana once shared with her children that the secret to a successful marriage was shared attraction, intimacy, and lifelong goals. After 65 years of marriage, Tana joked and amended that wisdom to include, “… and separate bathrooms”. 

Tana balanced elegance with practicality. While Bill’s career provided opportunities, her financial discipline and investment skills reinforced the family’s financial security and offered freedom to enjoy travel, art, beautiful furnishings, and fine wine. She was sophisticated, but never pretentious; romantic, but deeply logical; direct, practical, and wonderfully down to earth. 

Above all, Tana loved deeply. She formed lifelong friendships everywhere she lived and stayed connected to friends over decades and distance. She never forgot her Tennessee roots staying connected to family across the years. She was loyal, intelligent, stylish, funny, generous, and fiercely devoted to those she loved. 

Tana was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William Boyd Hope, Jr. Tana is loved and remembered by her four children, Nikki L. Copp (Michael), Tana Louise Hope Bogush (Mark Berry), William B. Hope III (Leslie Alexander), and Kathryn H. Dahlin (James). 

Tana is also survived by her eleven grandchildren: Andrew Copp (Rachel), Ashton Jekic (Milos), Ryan Copp (Amy), Allie Wagner (Robert), David and Sky Bogush, Jenna, Emily and Chloe Hope, and Kaley and Megan Dahlin; and her nine great-grandchildren: Conner and Lucas Jekic, Adelynn, Liam and Collin Copp, Charlotte and Madison Copp, Grayson Wagner, and David Bogush III. 

Additionally, Tana is loved and remembered by her sisters: Beth Lynn Fox (David), their sons Michael and Andrew (Whitney); and Laura Louise Smith (Owen), along with their children Taylor and Hannah; her brother-in-law Henry Hope (Betsy); many nieces and nephews in Texas; her extended Tennessee family and many dear friends.

Tana would remind us, even now, to invest wisely, travel often, keep fine wine and good chocolate in the house—and if possible, have separate bathrooms.

A service is planned for 10:00 AM on Friday, May 1st at Johnson County Funeral Chapel & Memorial Gardens. To express your condolences to the family, please go to johnsoncountychapel.com