Kathryn J Matuszak
- Kathryn Jean Matuszak passed away on March 19, 2024, surrounded by family and friends in her home in Surprise, Arizona. She was born on June 28th, 1958, the only girl of four children to Walt and Lois Shewski in Joliet, IL. Kathy graduated from Forest View High School, in Arlington Heights, IL in just three years. She went on to graduate from Purdue University with a degree in Consumer and Family Sciences. Kathy cared for people, was a hard worker and was someone to be counted on. This included her work at ATT, where she worked as a business support coordinator, where she always inherited the messes. Kathy was a generous and thoughtful person with many ideas to solve whatever happened. Though highly intelligent, she never put people down and found ways to include them in conversations and discussions. She was always presentable, and you never saw Kathy without a scarf.
Kathy’s lifelong passion was traveling. It started with family trips she made as a child to Gun Lake in Michigan each year. There were also family cross-country journeys to visit all fifty states. Throughout her life, she visited over eighty countries and accumulated over five hundred sea days on cruise ships. These trips were etched in her mind.
She also loved participating in trivia games, making lifelong friendships. She was always sought out as a trivia partner due to her quick recall as well as travel, pollical and entertainment knowledge. Kathy found a home at the monthly Grand Trivia Night, where she was a member of the winning team many times.
She dearly loved her daughter and her five grandchildren. She established her “Mimi rules” with them wherever they went, invoking manners and respect to all. Passing along experiences was a key, taking them on trips, even during COVID, to ensure that they learn from the places they visited together.
She is survived by her husband Pete of 44 years and their daughter Vicky Lynch (Neal) and grandkids Jeannie Prugar, James Prugar, Amelia, Molly and Peter Lynch and brothers Michael, John (Colleen) and Thom Shewski. There will be no service or funeral held for Kathy to meet her wishes, but there will be small private celebrations of life events in the near future. She will be cremated, and her ashes will be with her family on future cruises. Donations may be made in Kathy’s memory to the American Heart Association.