Dr. Karla Renee Akwa Obituary (1963 - 2021)

The world has lost one of it's most precious Angels. Dr. Karla Renee (Hornstra) Akwa passed away at Carle BroMenn hospital on 12/12/2021 after a long battle with cancer. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Fred and Ila Hornstra on June 13, 1963, she moved with parents and sister Daria (Hornstra) Miller to Naperville, Illinois when she was six weeks old. After moving briefly to Los Alamos, New Mexico for her father's job, she moved to St. Charles Illinois where she spent the majority of her childhood. As a child she played the violin and piano, and enjoyed ice skating and swimming. The family regularly went camping, going to many places in the country. Her favorite spot to camp was in Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, where she took countless hikes around the lake with family and good friends. She was always an animal lover, starting to raise money for the animals when she was just in grade school. As an adult, she always had rescue dogs, and she was a foster mom on a number of different occasions. At one point she had as many as eight rescue dogs within her home. Another of Karla's favorite things in life were her trips to the family farm in South Dakota. Every Thanksgiving and each summer, she would love being at the farm spending time with family, and of course, all the animals. She loved time with the cats, dogs, baby chicks, and especially the calves. She would pick mulberries, and a highlight was her grandmother's homemade Caramel Pecan rolls. She attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where she obtained her nursing degree, eventually becoming employed as a nurse anesthetist. After coming to the conclusion that she could do even more to help people if she were a physician, she put herself through Medical School at the University of Illinois in Peoria, Illinois, and graduated at the top of her class. Post graduation she worked in Peoria as a family practice physician that specialized in the care of women. The most important things in her life have always been her children, Noah (born 11/15/2000) and Anaiah Akwa (born 9/2/2002), and as a physician she was able to have the unique opportunity to deliver both children. Noah and Anaiah have always brought her great joy, were always the center of her life, and she always loved being their mom. In Peoria she met her wonderfully devoted spouse, Kevin Krippner, and they married on July 25, 2009, moving to Downs, IL. She was employed by Advocate BroMenn for a few years as an Integrative Medicine physician, before leaving and starting her own private practice in Integrative Medicine specializing in women's care in Bloomington, IL. Throughout her career, and at the Center for Integrative Medicine, another clear passion in her life was her patients, and she took tremendous pride and care in helping them move to a higher level of health, life satisfaction, and quality of life. Karla was a strong, devoted woman of faith, attending Living Hope Christian Church with her family in Downs, Illinois. She also attended weekly Bible Studies as well as regularly studying the bible and other related devotions. In addition to her great love of rescue dogs, she regularly followed and financially supported adoption of orphans with special needs, a tremendous passion for her. Everyone who ever met Karla immediately saw her beautiful and amazing heart and compassion for others. Despite the long battle with cancer, she always had a smile on her face, and she continued to enjoy spending time on the couch, cuddling Kevin and the many dogs she owned over the years, as well as her great joy in spending time with her children. Karla is preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by Noah, Anaiah, and Kevin, as well as sister Daria Miller, spouse Brent, and nephews/niece Jason and Brian Miller, and Brittany, and their children. Also surviving are her stepchildren Kyle Krippner, and Kayla Green, and grandchildren. Visitation for Karla will be on Friday December 17th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington IL. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 am Saturday December 18th at Living Hope Church, Downs, IL. Interment will be at Hopewell Cemetery, Downs . In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Living Hope Christian Church in Downs, IL, to Wishbone Animal Canine Rescue in Bloomington, IL, or to Compassion International, Colorado Springs, Colorado, or any other child adoption program.