Kathryn Jean Strupczewski

Kathryn J. Strupczewski (Smith), 68, passed away at home on August 28, 2015 in the loving care of her husband, Francis Strupczewski (USAF, Ret.).  Born on September 22, 1946 in Philadelphia, PA to the late William and Sarah Smith.  She is predeceased by her brother, William, and survived by a niece and two nephews.  She is also survived by two daughters and their families: Kristina and Richard Wade with grandchildren Alexis and John, and Caryn and David Brian Dearstine with grandchildren Abigail and David.

Kathy, as we all knew her, was pretty much was raised as an only child since her brother was 14 years her senior.  This gave her some pretty special moments with her father, who taught her a life-long passion for football (watching, not playing).  Father and daughter would attend the local football games at Temple University.  Later, as Kathy would move around the world as the wife of a military non-commissioned officer, she would still be cheering on the home team, only now that would be the Philadelphia Eagles, and not from the stands, but in front of a television set.  On Sunday afternoons, there was no doubt what was on the TV, and since they lived in Maryland and the Eagles game was not a guarantee; the NFL Game Day package was a must!

Kathy hated her junior high school so much that she worked hard to get out of it to be accepted into Girls’ High, a prestigious public school in Philadelphia.  Upon graduation from Girls’ High, Kathy was accepted into the Registered Nursing program at Abington Memorial Hospital where she received her cap and pin with the class of 1967.

Kathy met Frank, her future husband, on a blind date.  It was a college frat party that one of Kathy’s friend’s was attending with her boyfriend and she didn’t want to go by herself so she arranged for Kathy to go with one of her boyfriend’s fraternity brothers.  They seem to hit it off really well, but he didn’t ask for her phone number, even after a wicked long ride home in almost blizzard-like conditions.  Imagine her surprise when she received a phone call from the blind date that she never gave her number to.  He went through the many, many, many Smiths in the Philadelphia phonebook until he found the one with the right address.  They were happily married for 46 years.

It wouldn’t be fair to write this without a nod to the special life of a military wife.  Kathy had to pack up and leave her family and move to Texas.  Frank had been in training during much of the wedding planning, home for the wedding then back off again!  He was then stationed in the Philippines during the birth of their first daughter and didn’t meet her until she was ten months old.  After the early years, they settled into a pattern of being transferred around the country and overseas every three to four years.  Pack up and move, again.  Leave a good job.  Leave friends.  Leave family.  Hopefully find a way to stay in touch ----  pre-internet.  I salute Kathryn and other military wives for finding a way to keep it together.

Kathryn’s life was dedicated to helping others: she was a Registered Nurse until she retired in 2003 to help care for grandchildren instead.  Her hobbies included reading, traveling, games, and spending time with the grandchildren.  She especially loved to combine two of them: traveling and the grandchildren.  How they did it with all four, I’ll never know!  Kathy loved to take the grandkids to the “Florida House,” a time-share down in Orlando.  And of course what do you do while in Orlando, go to Disney World!  These grandchildren had it really, really good. I hope they all remember what a special and generous grandmother they had in Kathy.