Colleen M. "Corky" Luft

1934 - 2021

Colleen "Corky" M. Luft

May 5, 1934 - January 24, 2021

Colleen "Corky" M. Luft, May 5, 1934 - January 24, 2021, will eternally be in the higher sands of time on the shores of our memories with her beloved parents, Art and Winnie (Tarpy) Kerstetter; sister Beverly Kerstetter; brother Donald Kerstetter; great-granddaughter Kamilla Aria Luft; favorite uncles, Johnny, Pat and Joe Tarpy; her uncle the Right Reverend Monsignor Henry H. Dugan of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis; her much beloved parent-in-laws, Carl and Mildred (Cousino) Luft; her former husband Allen Luft; brother and sister-in-laws, Glenn Luft; Ray and Alice Luft; Jim and Gene (Luft) Braunlich; Paul Lulfs; David Angus; her best friends, Trula Miles and Irene Drouillard; Trula's daughter Connie.

She is survived by her five children, Richard "Rick" (Julie) Luft, Deborah "Debbie" (Bill) Greening, Susan "Suzzie" (Gary) Grizzle (formerly Raymond; then Cox), Janice "Jan" (formerly Witzel); Bunny (John) Podolak; her bounty of beautiful grandchildren and great grandchildren; the many who called her "Mom"; her dearly beloved sister-in-laws, Marie (Glenn Luft) Luft; Marianne "Mari" (Luft) Lulfs; Katherine "Kitty" (Luft) Angus; Jan (Donald) Kerstetter; her many sharp nephews and nieces; dear friends, Pat and Ann Giammarco; her Goddaughter Christina Giammarco; Lois Durant who was fun to room with and made her life so much fuller and tolerable in her Medilodge residence; plus the many friends far and near she was grateful for in her life.

Colleen was born in Toledo, Ohio; attended Sacred Heart Grade School and graduated from Central Catholic High School, with secretarial skills. She worked as a sales clerk on the main floor of LaSalle's downtown Toledo, in her late teens, selling silk stockings at a time when the saleswoman would insert her hand and arm to show the stocking. She loved that job. She could have easily been a fashion model had she not become a wife and a mother.

In 1949 she met her future husband, Allen Luft, at the Toledo Beach Amusement Park. June 24, 1951 they married. In January 1953 their first child was born; then the four girls followed closely after. Her home was always a beehive of activity. A local version of "Green Acres" in LaSalle's farming and boating community. She remained a big city girl in the countryside setting, key on current fashions; hairstyles and trends that were not the typical farming wife's fair. She was easy to spook with a mouse, frog, snake or like creature.

She was fiercely PROUD TO BE IRISH and born a full veiled baby like her mother, so please do raise a glass to our fine lass this St. Patty's Day and all thereafter. Anywhere they're playing Danny O'Donnell's "Danny Boy" she'll be in the air singing along.

Family gatherings were important to her: weekend card games with loved ones; loads of food; kids swinging from barn rafters or off the end of the dock on a rope - anything fun with family and others was a ... BINGO! The hundreds of acres of family farmland offered many rich experiences for her and her family to add to the existing volumes of local family history already in existence for several centuries. When her youngest child entered High School, Corky took a job as hostess at "Carmen's" restaurant in Monroe. 100% a 'people person', she livened up the scene. Her marriage to Al ended in 1979. Her work for Pat and Anne Giammarco continued for over twenty years in the corporate office of Marco's. She was honored and proud to be the Godmother of their first child, Christina. She retired from Marco's in the spring of 1997 to care for her sister Bev at home, who had terminal cancer. Bev passed away on December 23, 1997. Colleen then moved to Florida for several years, near her daughter Bunny's mother-in-law, and her brother Don and his wife Jan joined her ... for her next chapter of what seemed to be "Heaven on Earth", that lasted until 3 hurricanes blew them back north where her children have taken turns in helping her in her later years.

Her brother was the last member of her immediate family to pass before her in 2016, leaving her the sole survivor of her small close knit immediate family. She requested cremation with no funeral services. She was given her last rights by a Catholic priest, more than once. A Celebration of Colleen's life with family and friends will be announced when it is clearly deemed safe for large gatherings. Contributions in her memory can be made to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.