Kathleen Homula

Kathleen Homula, 79, of Kent, Ohio, went home to the Lord on Wednesday, December 24, 2025.

She was born on June 25, 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio, to the late Charles and Ann Marie Heyduk (née Gallagher) and was a proud graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

Kathy never forgot where she came from. She loved her Cleveland roots and delighted her children, grandchildren, and friends with stories of growing up in the neighborhood, playing sports, getting into all the right kinds of mischief, and making memories alongside her brother, sister, and lifelong friends. Her tales of Catholic school life, playful pranks on the nuns, and shenanigans with her best friend Mary were legendary. Somehow, she always managed to stay just on the right side of trouble.

An excellent bowler, Kathy was a member of several bowling leagues over the years, most notably at Twin Star Lanes. One of her proudest achievements was rolling a high score of 265. She was also an avid reader, often finishing an entire book in a single day, and she loved playing cards, especially “penny” poker, with family, sometimes well into the early morning hours. Kathy worked for many years at Parker Hannifin and retired in 2008.

At just 15 years old, Kathy met the love of her life, Mike. The first time she saw him in a pizza shop, she told her friends she would marry that boy, and she did. They have been together ever since, rarely apart. Married in 1966, they shared 59 beautiful years filled with love, friendship, sacrifice, and devotion to one another.

Family was always at the center of Kathy’s life. Her greatest joy was her children, Michael and Michelle. Her love and support for them were constant and unconditional. She spent countless hours at practices, sporting events, and school activities, always cheering them on. Just as meaningful were the long conversations about everything from silly everyday moments to the most important life lessons.

When Kathy became a grandmother, her heart somehow grew even larger. Each grandchild believed they were her favorite, because to her, they truly were. She would move heaven and earth to be with them, and once they arrived at Grandma’s house, it was hard to get them to leave. There was simply nowhere they would rather be.

Her nieces and nephews called her “Aunt Kay,” though she loved them like bonus children of her own. She never hesitated to stop whatever she was doing to take a call, listen without limits, or spend time with them.

Kathy was loving, beautiful, selfless, resilient, and strong. Everyone who knew her was better for it. No one walked away from Kathy unchanged—her kindness, humor, and steady presence left a mark on every life she touched. She also had a perfectly timed sense of humor that was dry, a little sarcastic, and always hilarious. She had a way of lightening the moment and bringing laughter wherever she went.

In the final years of her life, Kathy often struggled with her breathing. As she passed from this life into her eternal home, her lungs, so burdened here, were filled with the breath of God. She breathed freely and fully once again.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Charles Heyduk, her sister, Mary Ann Cieplowski, and her brother-in-law, Virgil “Ski” Cieplowski, husband of her sister Mary Ann.

Kathy is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Michael Homula; her son and daughter-in-law, Michael Jr. and Erin Homula; her daughter and son-in-law, Michelle and Gary Boykin; her cherished grandchildren, Alexandra, Kolten, Kiera, Jonah, Joshua, Erika, Alexa, and Alivia; and her beloved nieces and nephews, Tim (Catherine) Cieplowski, Tammy Cieplowski, Terri (Rich) Paglialonga, Charles “Chuck” Heyduk, and Deborah (Darius) Card.

In accordance with her wishes, Kathleen will be cremated, and no traditional funeral services will be held. The family invites all who knew and loved her to a memorial service and celebration of her life on January 17, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., at the Acker-Moore Memorial Post, 3733 Fishcreek Road, Stow, Ohio 44224.

A brief memorial service will begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by food, fellowship, and an open-house celebration of Kathy, where friends and family are encouraged to come together, share stories, and remember her well-lived life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Kathy’s name to the Adoption and Foster Care Ministry of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, 7911 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44102, or online.

Services in the care of Bissler and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory, 628 W. Main St. Kent, OH 44240