07/01/2020

Obituary for Catherine Cecilia Szymczak

Mother and Mother-in-law of Lora and Dale Morris, Owners of Morris Sons Funeral Home

Szymczak, Catherine Cecilia “Kit”, age 97½ of Kettering, passed away peacefully June 30, 2020 at Village at the Greene. 

She is preceded in death by her mother, Lola Elva (Turrentine) Rhoden in 1944; an infant brother; aunt Rose Marie and her uncle (her mom’s twin brother), Lauren Turrentine, husbands: Robert O. Boyles in 1950 and Henry V. Szymczak in 1996; an infant son Marion Boyles; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Glen & Marie Midlam, Eddie & Lila Szymczak; nieces, Patricia Salopek and Sandie Szymczak-Ealey; a half-sister, Eleanor Hahn of MO: father, Cecil Ray Thompson of Illinois.  She is survived by her children, Lana Boyles of Dayton, Bobbie Stoeckert of TX, Kathy Shiverdecker of Dayton, Larry Szymczak of Kettering, Ron (Tammy) Szymczak of Columbus, Lora (Dale) Morris of Sugarcreek Twp, Jimmy Szymczak of Kettering; grandchildren, Tony LeCrone of Lancaster, Rob (Marie) Leach of Dayton, Katie Szymczak, Ron Szymczak Jr., Jake Szymczak all of Columbus, Mathew Olinger of WA, twins, Ryan (Kayla) Szymczak of Dayton & Nicholas (Rachel) Szymczak of Findlay; 3 great-grandchildren, Zoey, Colt and Axel; niece, Judy (Jim) Holbrook of FL.; nephew, Ed (Sue) Szymczak of Kettering and other family members. 

She was born in Union, MO and came to Dayton, OH in 1936 with her mother and her aunt Rose Marie. They were on their way to Toledo, but Rose Marie knew friends in Dayton that could get them jobs at the Hewitt Soap Factory, so they stayed in Dayton. Kit attended Steele Elementary and then Wilbur Wright High School until she married Robert Boyles. Kit loved to play ping pong and was the Ping Pong Champion at the Burkhardt Center, loved to play cards, Bingo, Showdown at the St. Helen & Ascension Church Festivals, loved flowers and mostly spending time with her family. She wasn't one for sitting at home, always went to the grocery store each day for this or that. Loved going out to lunch and just being out & about.

Mom has spent the last 5+ years at Village at the Greene, where up until the lockdown due the Covid Virus, she was enjoying her time with family, friends and playing cards and Bingo.  She was comfortable there and even called it "Home". Kit was quite the little fighter, we called her the energizer bunny, she seemed to keep on going no matter what came her way. On this past June 5th we were all taken by surprise, a blood clot on her left temple, caused her to have a stroke.  She did very well in the hospital, but once she went back to the nursing home, we think the isolation took its toll on her. She couldn't understand why her family wasn't coming inside to see her but looking at her through a window. It was heartbreaking, knowing she was lonely and scared, and we couldn't be by her side to comfort her. Kit's family would like to thank all the wonderful staff at the Village at the Greene, along with the many doctors & nurses at Kettering Hospital who cared for mom over the past years.  

A funeral service will be held 11:00 AM, Thursday, July 2, 2020 at Morris Sons Funeral Home, 1771 E. Dorothy Lane, Kettering with Pastor Rob Wackerman officiating.  Family will receive friends one-hour prior at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Bellbrook Cemetery. Online condolences may be left at Morris-Sons.com.