Obituary of Kathryn Elaine Smerk

Kathryn Elaine Smerk, 67, of Cuyahoga Falls, passed away peacefully Saturday, July 30, 2016 in the comfort of her home, and surrounded by family. Kathryn was born June 1, 1949 to Gertrude Kathryn and James Alexis Murray. She was born and raised in Cuyahoga Falls, and later raised her 3 children in the same home she grew up in. She studied with Jehovah Witnesses most of her life and had many friends at the Kingdom Hall whom she loved dearly. She was also a huge CAVS fan and looked forward to watching all of their games. She was the foundation of her family and two of her greatest joys were spending time with her beloved family and dog, Tinka. Kathryn was an unbelievably strong, independent, generous and compassionate person whose heart knew no bounds. Kathryn will be deeply missed by her children, Stacey Gongaware (Chris), Donny (Patti) Smerk and Jennifer Hagan (John Edwards); sister, Marilyn Olds; grandchildren, Aishia Gongaware-Neidert (Alex), Kayla Chambers (Mike Ambrose), Dalton Gongaware, Cody Chambers (Niquell Henry), Krystie Gongaware (Bret Blevins) and Jacob Hagan; great-grandson, Brayden Chambers; niece, Kate (Brian) Powell; nephews, Zack and Matt Olds; great-nephew, Zack Olds; great-niece, Etta Powell. She’ll also be deeply missed by many friends and neighbors. Kathryn was preceded in death by her mother, Gertrude Kathryn Murray; grandmother, Rosa Jakob; brother in-law, Samuel Olds; and son in-law, John Chambers. A Private memorial will be held for Kathryn’s family. (Anthony, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-928-1313, www.anthonyfh.com)