Walletta LaCapa

Walletta Charline LaCapa-Kaniatobe departed this life at the age of 65, on April 27, 2023, in Tahlequah, OK.
Her celebration of life services will be held at 11:00AM, May 4, 2023, at Hart Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Reese Cemetery in Stilwell, Oklahoma. Visitation hours will be held from 2:00PM-6:00PM, Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023, also at Hart Funeral Home in Tahlequah, OK.
For the first few years of her life, Walletta grew up in Riverside, California before moving to Peavine, Oklahoma where she attended Peavine Elementary School. After completing elementary, Walletta transitioned to Stilwell High School where during her Senior year was the school mascot. She graduated from Stilwell High School in the year 1976. Walletta then briefly attended Haskell Indian Nations University. In 1980 she moved back to Riverside, California to live with her sister Wauhillau, where she then began a career, which stretched over the course of 36 years, at Sherman Indian High School; a federally funded boarding school specializing in education for Native American youth from different tribes located throughout the United States. Sherman Indian High School became an incredibly special place to Walletta. She began working as a Night Attendant for the dormitories, and over the years she earned the title of Dormitory Manager. Walletta found her job rewarding, but she loved the students most of all. Each year hosting anywhere from 100-200+ students, while building lifelong friendships along the way with both students and staff. She was loved by many of her students, and they often referred to her as a sister, aunt, and as a mother. Through her students she shined her best because she loved them so dearly.
On February 16, 2002, in Fullerton, California, Walletta married her loving husband Demetrius V. LaCapa. They began their life together and resided in Riverside, California until the year 2016 when Walletta decided to retire and move back to her home state of Oklahoma. Choosing to begin a new adventure, Walletta and Demetrius chose Tahlequah as their new home to continue life together, allowing Walletta to rebuild a long-missed bond with family and friends she left 36 years earlier. Although Walletta and Demetrius never had children of their own, they had many fur babies that Walletta loved dearly. Their family includes a female cat named Izzy Two, a fur son of chow retriever sheltie mix named S'mores, a blue parakeet named Sky Sky, a Dachshund named Mister Peebody, a Pomeranian named Deeogie (DOG), and a Blue Heeler Australian Shephard named Kojax. Walletta always had a connection with animals, which seemed to understand her and loved her just as much as she loved them. Sometimes it seemed like Walletta preferred animals over people.
Walletta was a dedicated fan of the band KISS where she belonged to the KISS ARMY and was very proud of that. She loved flowers and receiving them, her favorite being Carnations. Her favorite color was purple. During her life in California, she loved trips to the beach, the occasional visit to Disneyland, Knottsberry Farm, and Six Flags, going out to dinner and the movies, and spending time with family and friends. She loved the Godzilla movies, Twilight Zone, and The Travel Chanel.
She was preceded in death by her parents; Lucille Kreighbaum-Hummingbird and Raymond Kaniatobe; Stepfather, Charles Kreighbaum; and sisters, Caroline Kaniatobe, Synthia Lucio, Wauhillau Rae Kaniatobe, and Ataloa Hoenes.
She is survived by a loving family which includes her husband Demetrius V. LaCapa and fur baby Kojax of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; sister, Betty G. Kosterlistzkey of Stilwell, Oklahoma; step-sister, Virginia LaRoe of San Bernardino, California; and many nieces and nephews.