On Thanksgiving night, the angels escorted Cecilia Krask to heaven, where she joined her husband Harry Krask, who passed away in 1985.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Rose (Michalski) Skic and Stanley Skic, Cecilia attended St. Michael’s Parish Grammar School and Bowen High School. In September 1941, she married her first and only love, Harry Krask. Six months into their marriage, Harry was drafted into the U.S. Army and served as a Medic during World War II in the European theater. Cecilia was a life-long homemaker and devoted mother, and a social activist in the early 1960s, working to make special education classes available in the Chicago Public School system for children with Down Syndrome. Following her husband’s death, she remained a member of the 7th Armored Division Association, and traveled all over the U.S. and Europe on annual reunion trips. She also enjoyed adventures and travel with her children and grandchildren. Cecilia loved music, often amazing her family that she could sing everything from opera to pop songs.
A long-time resident of Chicago and Calumet City, Illinois, Cecilia moved to Gilroy in 2001 to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Susie and Tom Mulhern.
Cecilia will be missed dearly by her family: daughter Rosemarie Stefanich (and her husband Vince) of Sammamish, WA, son Thomas Krask (and his wife MaryAnn) of Kohler, WI, son Richard of Pittsburgh, PA, daughter Susan Mulhern (and her husband Tom) of Gilroy, CA, daughter Ruth Krask of Gilroy, CA, granddaughter Christina Krask of Willowbrook, IL and grandson Steven Krask, stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida.
Preceding her in death were Cecilia’s two sisters (Stefanie Lulinski Jagla and Ann Sensenbrenner) and a brother (Anthony Skic).
A celebration of Cecilia’s life and inurnment will take place in May 2007 at Holy Cross Cemetery in Calumet City, Illinois.
Donations in honor of Cecilia would be greatly appreciated by the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Cheung (Tom) Leung, Dr. Harish Murthy, Dr. Ronald Yanagihara and the doctors’ staff members for their excellent care, and to the Odyssey Healthcare Hospice team, especially nurse Jodi and spiritual counselor Ann, for their kindness and gentle care that enabled Cecilia to leave this world peacefully in the comfort of her home.
