Patricia "Patty" Ann Kukla

Patricia (Patty) Ann Kukla, ended her earthly journey on April 15, 2019 at the age of 72, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was intelligent, warm, beautiful, generous, loving and happy until the very end. She formed deep and lifelong friendships with so many schoolmates, fellow congregants, neighbors, and teaching colleagues. A Born Again Christian, she loved Jesus with all her heart and served Him with her constant gift of Helps.

She was born in Battle Creek, Michigan on October 16, 1946 after which her family moved to Traverse City, Michigan where she completed high school and started her college work. She went on to achieve her B.A. degree in Special Education from Michigan State University in 1969. Her loving husband of 46 years, Dale, was home after serving in the Army in November of 1971 when they had a chance encounter on the Union Street Bridge in Traverse City, and were married 8 months later. Patty began her teaching career at Way Elementary in Bloomfield Hills. She chose to put her professional career on hold for almost 17 years to focus on her passion, being a fulltime domestic engineer for her husband and three children. She later began substitute teaching to help with college costs for the kids, before landing a fulltime teaching position with Oxford Public Schools where she taught at Crossroads for Youth and the Oxford High School.

Patty's greatest joys were spending time with her husband, socializing with family and friends, care giving for her 8 grandchildren, and worshiping her Lord Jesus Christ in church. Surviving her are her husband Dale, her daughter and son-in-law Tracey Kukla-Aleshire and Bryan Aleshire and grandchildren Eva, Lachlan and Baron, her son David Kukla and grandchildren Deanielle, Aubrie and Madelyn, her daughter and son-in-law Amy and Matthew Duwe and grandchildren Everett and Jasper, and her brother and sister-in-law Britton and Alicia Sanford, nephew Matthew Sanford and niece Erin (Aaron) Singer. She loved each of them with all of her heart.

Visitation is Saturday, April 20 from 1-3 pm followed by a service at 3 pm, all held at Lynch and Sons Funeral Directors, 39 West Burdick, Oxford, Michigan, 48371 (248-628-3100). A graveside service will be held at Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens, Traverse City, Michigan, on Saturday May 11 at noon. Donations may be made in her memory to any charity of your choice that benefits children or special education. The family is being cared for by the Lynch and Sons Funeral Directors and the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home.