Thecla M. Kwak

THECLA MARIAN KWAK (nee Kaciusis) Visitation for Thecla Appolonia Marian Kwak, 86, of Momence, will be from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 19, 2013, at the Cotter Funeral Home in Momence, Illinois. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Momence, where she was a member. The Reverend Denis White will officiate. Interment will be at St. Patrick Cemetery, Momence. Thecla suffered a severe stroke and subsequently died on Friday September 13, 2013. Thecla was born February 08, 1927, in Chicago, the daughter of Alexander and Ona (Naravas) Kaciusis. She attended St. Casimir (Maria) High School and St. Xavier College in Chicago earning a degree in teacher education. She married Joseph James Kwak on June 17, 1950, to join him in farm living near Momence. Thecla devoted her life to being a loving mother and wife, faithful church member, committed schoolteacher, avid traveler and smart businesswoman. She taught elementary and middle school in Lake County, Indiana, and Kankakee County, Illinois, for 35 years, beginning in 1948 and retiring in 1983. Her teaching abilities spanned many school districts including Whiting and Schneider in Indiana and Kankakee School District 111 in Illinois, as well as teaching middle and high school students at St. Patrick Academy, Momence. There was hardly a year when Thecla would not run into former students who thanked her for her contribution to their life success. In 1965, after many summer vacations trailer-camping across the United States, she and her husband launched Lake Alexander Campground, which mirrored their passion for camping. Thecla was a woman of strong conviction and sacrificed to ensure that each of her children had a Catholic education. She was a member of St. Patrick Parish in Momence and St. Augusta Parish in Lake Village, Indiana. Thecla and Joseph were winter residents of Crystal River, Florida, and member of the St. Benedict Parish. She was a longtime member of the Extension Homemakers Association, Council of Catholic Women, and Kankakee County Retired Teachers Association. A passionate advocate for higher education, Thecla will be remembered as a religious woman dedicated to family values, hard work and self-improvement with a generous nature that was felt by many. Her strong will and quiet determination helped her to surmount numerous health challenges without complaint, serving as an inspirational model of strength, perseverance and faith. Thecla Kwak is survived by five children and their spouses, Joseph A. Kwak and Denise Desjardins of Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada; Tom Kwak and Danielle Pender of Raleigh, North Carolina; Annette and Kevin Fitzpatrick of Seattle, Washington; Christine Kwak of Battle Creek, Michigan; and Fran Kwak of Seattle, Washington; and by five grandchildren, Noelle Kwak, Colin Fitzpatrick, Brianne Fitzpatrick, Jacob Kwak and Alexandra Kwak. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty years, Joseph Kwak; her daughter, Anita Kwak; her parents, Alexander and Ona Kaciusis; and her two brothers, Alexander and Theodore. Memorial donations may be made in Thecla's name to: St. Patrick Catholic Church, 119 North Market Street, Momence, IL 60954 or to an endowment established in her name at St. Xavier University, c/o Thecla Kwak Memorial Scholarship Fund, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago, IL 60655. Please contact Chris Kwak (269-209-5882) should you have questions about donating to the Fund. Please sign her guestbook at cotterfh.com Cemetery: Interment will be in St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Momence, IL.

Thecla M. Kwak

February 8, 1927 - September 13, 2013

Find a loved one Find a loved one