LIVES WELL LIVED
CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF THREE COMMUNITY HEROES
WRITTEN BY KAREN LONG
Karla Burns, Britt Fulmer and Margaret Vance touched so many lives and leave behind memories of their passion, character and dedication. They will be missed.
Karla Burns
The singer and actress Karla Burns dominated stages from Wichita, Kansas, across the U.S. and all the way to Broadway and London’s West End. She was nominated for an Emmy and went on to win an Olivier Award, Britain’s highest theater honor, the first Black entertainer to do so. She brought to life characters
such as Bloody Mary in “South Pacific,” Dolly Levi in “Hello Dolly” and her signature role, Queenie in “Show Boat.” Burns died June 4, 2021, after a prolonged illness at the age of 66.
Rick Bumgardner, artistic director of Roxy’s Downtown, met Burns through a mutual friend and they quickly formed a connection. He went on to direct her in productions of “Hello Dolly,” “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane,” “The Wiz” and more. When asked what Burns was like backstage Bumgardner says, “It was the same personality … She was larger than life; that's the best way to describe her on stage and off.”
Bumgardner also directed Burns in the one-woman musical, “Hi-Hat Hattie” based on the life of Hattie McDaniel of “Gone with the Wind” fame, who broke a color barrier in 1940 when she became the first African-American to win an Academy Award for best supporting actress. Burns was inspired by McDaniel, born in 1893, who was also a Wichita native and lived just 10 blocks from where Burns grew up.
To every role she played Burns brought a riveting presence — but also a sense of dignity and strength. “I think that came from her family, and from her mama specifically,” says Bumgardner. “Her daddy died when she was 7 years old. You know, Mama Burns took over the helm of the family at that point. She talked to her daughters about the importance of responsibility and education, and I think Karla’s strengths came from the belief that her mother had in her girls — that they would amount to these incredible human beings.”
These were all messages that Karla internalized, as exhibited when she eventually returned to Wichita in later years to help care for her mother, a move Bumgardner calls “incredibly mature, compassionate and kind.”
He goes on to say: “Whenever she was asked what legacy she wanted to leave, Karla would quickly answer with the following words: ‘That I did my best, and I let God do the rest,’ and she lived her life that way.”
Britt Fulmer
“He didn't make any money because he spent everything he made on clothing,” Brenda Fulmer says, laughing, when speaking of her husband Britt Fulmer’s very first job in men’s fashion. But over 66 years of Glife, Britt would go on to distinguish himself as the owner of a successful business, Gentry Ltd., and build a reputation for being honest, kind, classy and fun. He passed away June 28, 2021, after a battle with cancer.
So many of Britt’s patrons became his friends, Brenda says. “I think he so appreciated the relationships and it wasn't about selling anybody anything. He said, ‘I have such a vast variety of people I get to meet and be involved in their lives — how lucky am I to have friends with so many different interests?’ ”
Together Britt and Brenda had two daughters, Lauren and Morgan. As VP of finance at Gentry Ltd., Brenda had the opportunity to work with her husband and witness his character up close. “He was just honest. He’d say: ‘I’m going to face God and be responsible for my actions.’ So integrity and fairness were at the top of his values.”
Britt inherited a love of music from his mother who was an Italian country-western singer and national yodeling champion. He and his cousins formed a band when he was 10 — and Britt continued forming them throughout his life, playing the bass in local bands Grateful Not To Be Dead, Three Ring Circus and Deja Vu.
Parker Mitchell, former employee and current owner of Gentry Ltd. says, “I was lucky to not only be his friend, but also his mentee, buying the store from him a little over 3 years ago … Britt taught me that yeah, we’re in the business of selling clothes — it’s easy to buy clothes anywhere — but what it’s really about is building relationships and providing extraordinary customer service unlike anywhere else.
Margaret Vance
As a trailblazer in media and broadcast sales, Margaret Vance was one of the first women in Wichita to break into that industry in the late 1970s, and was senior account executive at KWCH 12 when she lost her life to complications of Covid on Feb. 18, 2021, at the age of 66.
“She was probably the head salesperson in any market,” says her husband Gregg Vance. “When she walked into a room she knew everybody; she knew your family, your kids. She knew everything about you.”
Margaret was awarded her bachelor's degree in speech and journalism from Creighton University and later became part of the “Media B’s” club in Wichita. She was known by her childhood nickname, “Squeaky,” and was famous for her legendary holiday decorations, especially at Halloween. In fact, it was haunted houses that brought Margaret and Gregg together, and they continued creating them for 20 years, adding more family members to their work force as the years went on, including Margaret’s children Lezlee and Madison from a previous marriage, and Hunter, her son with Gregg.
“The kids loved working the haunted houses,” says Gregg, “all the cousins were there, all the nieces and nephews worked there, it was a big family thing we did every year.” The venture even generated enough profit to donate to charity.
Although Margaret gave herself the title, "The Greatest Salesperson in The Universe,” she was nonchalant about official honors and recognitions. “She has plaques and stuff all over the place, we just found them in a box not too long ago,” says Gregg. “She was never boisterous about stuff like that.” Before she died,
argaret and Gregg collaborated on a trophy for The Greatest Salesperson in The Universe, which will now be awarded annually to the best salesperson at KWCH 12.
In addition to her three children, Margaret doted on five grandchildren who called her “GiGi.” When asked what were her guiding principles in life, Gregg didn’t hesitate.
“Family and friends come first.”