Kathleen Ann Laakso

Kathy Ann Laakso (née: Gartner), died peacefully on Friday, May 15th, 2026, at the age of 79. Her family held a bedside vigil and were able to give her a loving send-off filled with music, reminiscing, and love.

Born in Northeast, Pennsylvania in 1946, she went to school at North East High School and Erie Business Center. She carried lifelong pride for her hometown and its famous grapes, which fueled her obsession with collecting concord grape memorabilia.

Important qualities she emphasized in parenting were developing her children’s creativity and encouraging originality. She actively supported their education, and nourished their love for reading, writing, and the arts.

She loved watching old black and white movies and baking sweets. A good time for Kathy was sitting down to watch an Alfred Hitchcock film while snacking on some no bake cookies or pretzel surprise.

She enjoyed traveling on cruises and touring many parts of the country with her brothers John and Larry Gartner. She especially loved the beautiful scenery of Alaska and the infectious jazz rhythms of New Orleans.

At Christmas time, Kathy enjoyed playing a guessing game with family members: she bought them strange mystery gifts and challenged everyone to try to guess what they were. She left everyone stumped on many occasions. She also carried on her mother’s old German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree for her grandchildren to find.

Kathy worked her entire career in the healthcare field as a medical secretary at Akron General Medical Center. In her later years living at Vitalia in Stow, she enjoyed participating in fun activities like casino visits, bingo, and choir.

Perhaps what she will be remembered for most is that she loved to tell jokes, share her sense of humor, and gently tease the ones she loved. She could always lighten the mood by making people laugh.

She is survived by her brothers John and Larry Gartner; sister Lorrie Knight; son Brian and his wife Angie, who served as her end-of-life doula; daughter Genne; and grandchildren Oscar, Casper, and Milo (to whom she was affectionately known as “O'ma”). She was preceded in death by her husband Arne, her parents Edward and Margaret Gartner (née: Semelka), and her special pen pal friend of the last eighteen years, Joe.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, July 19th, 2026 at 2:00PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron, 3300 Morewood Rd. Akron, OH 44333. An option to join the service online will be made available for those who cannot travel. Please email blaakso@gmail.com for the link to stream the memorial service. Memorial donations can be made to Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron Music Department or Portage Path Behavioral Health.

One of Kathy’s favorite movie quotes: “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” - Princess Bride

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