Jean V. Podboy, 92, Active and Encouraging Mother
Jean V. Podboy, (nee Kuznar) age 92, a life-long resident of Lorain, passed away peacefully at the Elmcroft Heartland Village on the evening of March 5, 2015.
She had been a resident of the care center since 2012 and was honored as the Resident of the Month there in July of 2013.
Jean was born in Lorain on April 8, 1922 to Frank and Valaria Kuznar, Polish immigrants who had settled in Lorain. The family, consisting of a total of fourteen children, were parishioners of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. Jean attended the parish school there and remained a loyal member of the church until its closure.
As children, she and her siblings helped their father harvest and sell produce from the large family garden to people throughout their neighborhood on East 34th Street. The untimely death of Mr. Kuznar required the older family members to develop a strong work ethic and enter the working world in an effort to support their mother and younger brothers and sisters.
Economic times during the war years presented Jean with the opportunity to work at Western Automatic in Elyria for seven years. During that period, she was also active in the local chapter of the USO.
Following the war, she met Thomas Podboy who had journeyed to Lorain from Forest City, Pennsylvania seeking employment. The couple married in April of 1947.
Upon the birth of their two daughters, Jean became a full-time stay-at-home Mom. She was an active and encouraging mother who presented her children with every opportunity to partake in any activity in which they possessed an interest. Due to this devotion, support, and encouragement, each of her girls built a successful life and a successful career.
Undoubtedly, Jean’s greatest achievement in life was the success of her family.
She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter Marlene “Mo” Pierce residing in Pelee Island Ontario, along with grandchildren Joshua McDermott of Phoenix and Tina McDermott of Amsterdam, Holland. Additional survivors include her sister Tina Lepkowski residing in Florida and numerous nieces and nephews who remained a significant part of her life.
In addition to her parents and twelve siblings, Jean was preceded in death by her husband Thomas in 2012, and by her daughter Donna McDermott in 2002.
A celebration of Mrs. Podboy’s life will be observed at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday May 16th in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery – 555 North Ridge Road, Lorain.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel. To share your memories and condolences with Jean’s family, please visit www.gluvna.net.