Kathleen Therese "Kay" Malec

After having received prayerful support and the consolation of the Sacraments, Kathleen Therese Malec (née Brown), died on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at the age of 90. She was welcomed into her eternal home, reuniting with her late husband George N. Malec. Kay, as she was known by many, was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Immaculate Conception, 37932 Euclid Ave., Willoughby with Fr. Michael Troha presiding at 10 AM on Saturday, June 7, 2025. Burial to follow at Willoughby Cemetery on Lake Shore Boulevard.
Kay is survived by her children, Mary von Carlowitz, George (Aven) Malec, Jeanine (Scott) Fontes, Gwen (Juan) Lewis, Nell (Dennis) Ginley, and Megan (Dave) Fennell; 23 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and her sisters-in-law, Lois Brown, Marianne Malec, Jan Malec and her brother-in-law Tom Malec.
She was preceded in death by her husband George of 60 years of marriage, her parents Francis and Katherine Brown and her brothers Deane and Dale Brown.
Born in East Cleveland on March 14, 1935, Kay joined a bustling Irish Catholic family – including her brothers, many aunts, uncles and cousins who all lived on the same street – to round out a tight-knit and sharp-tongued group. Once she got a whiff of the beauty of education, there was no stopping her. She graduated from Ursuline Academy of the Sacred Heart, then earned her B.S.N. in Nursing at St. John's College/Ursuline College. She earned her Doctor of Arts in Education from the University of Central Arizona before looping back around to receive her Master of Public Administration from Cleveland State – alongside completing programs with the Ohio State University and Lakeland Community College. Ever the lifelong learner, Kay held licensure as both a Registered Nurse and a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. Much like her attitude toward a well-poured drink ("Cover the ice!"), Kay simply couldn't get enough.
Her distinguished career in healthcare and education spanned decades and institutions, with roles at the Cleveland Clinic, Richmond Heights General Hospital, Woman's General Hospital, and Breckenridge Village. Kay was an Associate Professor at Lakeland Community College and taught in the Departments of Nursing, Allied Health Professions, and Law Enforcement. She served as Vice President and Secretary of the Faculty Association at Lakeland. Upon retirement from teaching and working, Kay was appointed to the Board of Trustees at Lakeland Community College where she served for 23 years.
Kay was a woman of unwavering faith and fierce intellect (and fierce wit, while we're at it). Guided all her life by the principles of God, family, and education, she lived not just to learn, but to teach, to uplift, and to open doors for others.
One of Kay's most enduring contributions was mentoring and championing women in their pursuit of education and leadership, a legacy clearly visible in the students she taught and in the lives of her own daughters and granddaughters.
Kay served her community alongside her husband at Immaculate Conception as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion until August 2024. She also taught PSR for many years and served on the Parish Pastoral Council.
She was a quintessential woman. Kay was the oldest Provisional member of the Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve, having become a member at age 89.
As a mother, grandmother and great grandmother Kay always desired to have her husband, George, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren by her side for all birthdays, holidays, graduations and many other events. She offered tough love, empathetic love, and sassy love. Those who knew her still hear her voice echo in unsuspecting moments. Who could forget her classic prayer at the end of grace before every meal, "Bless us all, rest us all, and help us all be good" or the gentle nudge towards service and education (often with the not-so-subtle reminder to "go to Lakeland!"); or her and George calling and singing Happy Birthday for all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren on their birthdays.
Family will receive friends from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday June 6 at McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Home, 38001 Euclid Ave. Willoughby, Ohio.
Interment will follow the Mass at Willoughby Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Francis D. Curran Endowment Fund at Immaculate Conception or to the Hospice of the Western Reserve.