Courtney Loraine Short

Courtney Loraine Short, age 30, of Elkhart passed away on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at Elkhart General Hospital. She was born on September 23, 1990 to Wendy Nichols and Al Short in Elkhart.

Courtney will be remembered as a loving mother, daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend who made everyone feel special in their own unique way. Her laugh was infectious, her kindness was limitless, her selflessness was immeasurable, and her love for family and friends was unquestionable. Courtney accepted everyone and judged no one. To know her was to know happiness & laughter, to know a beautiful spirit that would light up the room. She was a fierce and loyal friend who lived an amazing life that was cut way too short. Whether you knew her well or barely at all, she left her mark on you. Her piercing blue eyes, her vivacious spirit, her uncanny ability to be appropriately inappropriate, and that laugh… oh that laugh will be an echo of a life well lived, like a lighthouse in foggy seas, the memories of that laugh will be a beacon of hope. When you remember Courtney, remember the good times, remember the love, remember the obnoxious outbursts, remember the unconditional acceptance, remember the woman, and most of all remember the laugh.

Courtney is survived by her daughter, Liyah Nikole Mankhwala; her son, Westley William Walker; father Albert Short  & Kari Kinnucan; mother Wendy Nichols Johnson (Clarence Ford); sister Ashley Oley; brother, Lucas Johnson, bonus siblings: Justice, Paige, Maya, Mann and Isaya Ford, nephew Landyn Oley; grandparents Denise (David) Grubbs; grandfather Ronald Nichols; aunts, Jennifer (Jeremy) Burk, Robyn Munford, Stacie Snider, Michelle (Duane) Roach, Kelly (David) Hutchinson; uncles, George (Janet ) Short, Robin (Jodi) Short, David Short, Davie (Misty) Grubbs; special friends, Taylore Doyle and Jyrron Cooper, special friend Katie Gilles and many cousins and friends. Courtney was preceded in death by maternal great-grandmother Hermine Loraine Packingham (whom she is named after); fraternal grandparents, George and Diane Short;  her childrens fathers, P.J. Mankhwala and Justin Walker.

Friends may visit with family from 4-8 pm on Monday, November 9, 2020 at Stemm-Lawson-Peterson Funeral Home, 1531 Cobblestone Blvd, Elkhart, IN 46514. Where funeral services will be held at 12pm on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 with visitation one hour prior to funeral services. Burial will follow at Rice Cemetery in Elkhart. Memorial donations in memory of Courtney may be made to Riley Hospital for Children, 705 Riley Hospital Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202  https://give.rileykids.org