Therese Marie Slenn's Obituary
Therese Marie (Swarm) Slenn, age 94, died Sunday morning at Regina Health Center in Richfield Ohio with her loving, devoted sons by her side.
Tess was born in DeLancey PA in 1930, the eighth of ten children born to Anna Elizabeth (Zuby) Swarm and Edgar Augustus Swarm. The family relocated to Cleveland in 1940 where Tess subsequently graduated from West High School.
She and Richard (Dick) Slenn, a boy from the neighborhood, were married May 31, 1952 in Cleveland. They lived in Cleveland, Willowick, and Fairview Park. He preceded her in death January 21, 1979.
During a marriage that was far too short, Tess and Dick raised their three children as he worked as a chemical engineer at GE and she worked in an elementary school cafeteria in Willowick and later as a school crossing guard in Fairview Park. She always found time to provide care for various relatives as needed, and most importantly, as part of a team with siblings to care for their ailing mother at the end of her life. Tess’s giving heart and spirit never failed to answer a call from a person in need. She was a devoted Catholic who truly lived her faith and demonstrated it every day of her life.
A few years after Dick’s death she relocated to FL where she made good friends over bingo cards and a love of reading. As an avid reader she was never without a book (or several) and they were a staple in her home, always available for visitors to borrow. Tess’s FL door was always open to visiting family and friends. She routinely welcomed her grandchildren to stay with her during breaks from school. The woman had the patience of a saint and nothing seemed to be beyond her giving heart. She was the grandmother every child deserves and they still talk about those trips to FL to stay with grandma. Time at the pool and the bingo hall were enjoyed by all.
Tess was preceded in death by her parents, daughter, Therese Ann Slenn Mazanec and siblings Anna, John (Jack), Richard (Buzz), Edna Herczeg, Sarah Kubu, Dorothy Reynolds, Edgar Jr., and Agnes Crowe. Her in laws, Walter and Stella Slenn and brother-in-law Roland W. Slenn also preceded her in death.
Tess is survived by two sons, Walter (Patricia), and Richard (Janeen), and son-in-law Francis Mazanec. She is survived by grandchildren David (Mindy) Slenn,
Ursula (Jakub) Fiala, Richard (Jordan) Slenn, Mandy Lamont, Jeffrey Slenn, Andrew (Fidelia) Slenn, John (Alicia) Mazanec, and Joseph Mazanec. Surviving great grandchildren are Simone, Brielle, Elliot, Audrey, Landon, Logan, Elinor, Jackie, Carolina, James, William, Oliver, and Niko. Her brother, Robert and wife Joyce of FL, also survive her.
Funeral mass for Therese will be Saturday, July 26, 11:00 am at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, 6034 S. Locust St., Peninsula.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Therese's honor to Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church.
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