Obituary of Chantel Suzanne Burkett

     Burkett, Chantel, 42, of Meridian, passed away, November 24, 2022 at her home. Arrangements are under the direction of Accent Funeral Home and Cremation, Meridian. 

     Chantel was born in Portland, Oregon to her two loving parents, Gary and Elsie Williams, but spent most of her life residing in the Treasure Valley (Idaho). Chantel, fondly referred to as “Channy” by her close friends and family, was a true pillar in her community. She was an avid animal advocate and put her heart and soul into her job at the Idaho Humane Society. Over the course of her career she fostered 67 animals in her own home, had a hand in thousands of adoptions at IHS, and “match made” nearly every person in her family with their dog.

     While being a rock star in her career she also was a single mother to two phenomenal kids and consistently supported her various nieces and nephews. She was at every school event, sport, extracurricular activity, holiday, birthday, you name it, all while having a successful career, and many friends. Channy was the life at every party, the one that made it all come together, and she will definitely be remembered for having the best baked goods at every occasion! It seemed like her goal was to make everyone she encountered feel loved, accepted, and welcome. All of us at some point in life have made a questionable choice or two and Chantel was always there to meet us where we were at. I can’t think of a more loyal and committed person to have in your corner.

     Ultimately, Chantel lost her battle with stage 4 cancer, but those who knew her, know how hard she battled. Until literally the day she left this earth, she was determined to kick cancer’s A**! Although the ending wasn’t what we all hoped for, she still gave EVERYONE a run for their money. She is such an inspiration to all of us. She never let it get her down. She still went out to dinners, family events, and even took her great niece trick-or-treating one last time this year. She passed in her home surrounded by the love of her family and that’s exactly how she expressed that she wanted it to be.

     For such a “short” life by definition, she made the impact of several lifetimes on all of us. There will forever be an emptiness without her on this earth, but there will always be a huge space for her in our hearts. Chantel is survived by her parents, Gary and Elsie Williams; sister, Shelby Howard; brother DJ Williams (Misty); children: Jared Burkett (Dante); Kayln Burkett (Elliott); fur babies: Buster and Fenrir, her beloved nieces, nephews, relatives, and many friends.

     As a family we would like to offer a special thank you to the Cancer institute and her entire care team for their amazing support. We know we wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much time with her without their care. We would like to thank the Idaho Humane Society for their love, support, and for keeping us all a part of the IHS family even when she could no longer return to work. Last but not least, we would like to thank her “sister-in-love”, Misty, for never leaving her side and being her advocate, partner in crime, and best friend through this entire journey.

     In lieu of flowers, we are asking for donations to be made in her name to the Idaho Humane Society. We hope that even after her earthly life, she can continue to have a part in saving the lives of animals that way. Remembrances may be left for Chantel’s family on her webpage at www.AccentFuneral.com.